Striking perfect career-life balance

The 21st century employee is faced with a myriad of competing responsibilities in their life.

Work-life balance generally refers to the attainment of a comfortable state of equilibrium between an employee’s primary priorities of their employment position and their private lifestyle.

It is the optimal arrangement of an individual’s on-the-job and private time to facilitate good health and personal satisfaction without negatively impacting productivity and career success.

Psychologists agree that the demands of a career should not overwhelm the individual’s ability to enjoy a fulfilling personal life outside the business environment. After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Just like career success, the search for a work-life balance is personal as each individual’s life needs are unique.

However, there are universal benefits of attaining work-life balance. First, is reduced burn-out where individuals reduce the incidents of finding themselves overwhelmed and losing control of their lives. Burnouts are a recipe for stress and depression. Secondly, work-life balance results in increased productivity of the individual and consequently impact positively on the organisational output.

Thirdly, absenteeism is curtailed as an individual’s level of engagement is improved since they now enjoy both their work life and their personal life. It is worth noting that poor work-life balance contributes to employee apathy, making them lethargic and demotivated. Reduced turnover is another benefit of work-life balance. Organisations that promote both the work and the personal welfare of their employees earn their place as employers of choice and are, therefore, rewarded by their employees with improved commitment. Some of the strategies that can be employed by those desiring work-life balance include:

Setting boundaries and respecting them: This simply means that time and attention allocated to work, friends, family and personal life should be respected at all times. This practice will create a relatively predictable timetable that will undoubtedly promote your mental and emotional well-being.

Improving efficiency and effectiveness: The fact that you cannot increase the number of hours in a day means that, you must improve on your speed and effectiveness in all your undertakings. This means planning you must plan ahead and stick to your timelines for each activity.

Prioritise: What can’t you do without in life? What is essential and what is important? A priority list must be created and constantly evaluated to ensure that you are progressing both career-wise and at personal level.

Personal development: The quest for both career and personal success is not for the faint hearted. It calls for both smart and hard work.

—The writer is a human resource specialist and the co-Author of “The Career Code” Email : goretti@peoplelink.co.ke