Work-life balance: Towing the line

Excessive working, Overworking and Workaholism

Changes in technological capabilities make it more appealing to stay in constant communication. It’s much easier for your loved ones to stay in touch, but it’s also much easier for your boss and co-workers to contact you, even after work hours. From what’s app, line, teams and countless other online groups, it’s almost impossible for employees to wind down and detach from work when they are away from the office. Studies have shown that organizations and by extension, managers value workaholics as they believe that employees who work long hours are good performers. However, there is evidence to suggest that workaholics aren’t necessarily better performers compared to the average worker. However, let's save that debate for another time.

Though overcommitment to work seems like the perfect way to achieve success, it can cause a great deal of harm to employees. Overworking is related to many negative outcomes such as job stress, lower job satisfaction, and poorer emotional and physical well-being. This is because workaholics exert excessive energy and often have a high workload, leaving limited energy for other aspects of life, such as self, family and friends. An employee who is overworked, likely contends with complaints from family and friends about their unavailability. No doubt this troubles their mind, but for them, they must press on and continue to work to achieve goals and foster a sense of achievement and self-worth.

Of course, there’s no conversation about overworking without the mention of burnout. With pressures from work, family and friends, it is easy for employees to spread themselves thin and become so stressed that they experience mental fatigue. This exhaustion can cause employees to feel emotionally drained, experience anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping or even physical pain. Furthermore, burnout can also manifest as excessive detachment from interpersonal relationships. Employees may become cynical, rude, isolated and dependent on alcohol or other substances to cope with stress. Another tell-tale sign of burnout includes negative self-evaluation, where employees feel or express dissatisfaction with their job or daily life.

Let’s put this into perspective, being a good worker is not all bad. If an employee can achieve a good skill-challenge ratio, they can achieve their goals and have a strong sense of accomplishment. However, if the task outweighs skill; employees will become anxious and worry about performance, as they will feel they are not capable of accomplishing the goal. Conversely, if an employee’s skill outweighs the task; persons experience boredom because the task is too easy and there is not enough mental stimulation. Therefore, it is important to find the right balance!

The organization has a part to play in work-life balance

Achieving work-life balance is no small task, it requires employees to prioritize both their professional and private life. Most importantly, organizations play a crucial role in facilitating work-life balance. It is important that organizations have realistic goals and work environments conducive to collaboration and managerial support. Organizations who prioritize work-life balance and overall emotional and physically safe environment save on costs related to absenteeism, turnover and even foster fierce loyalty and commitment from their employees.

• Flexibility- One way that organizations can help employees to achieve work-life balance is to allow flexibility in work schedules. Whether it be flexiwork, remote work or hybrid work, these work arrangements give employees the autonomy to arrange their time between work and personal activities. Though employers tend to be wary of workers being away from the office, working from home has been shown to significantly increase employee satisfaction and job performance.

• Services- Another way for organizations to promote work-life balance is providing access to resources such as the gym, laundromat, mental health services, daycare etc that assist employees to complete daily tasks, especially if their job is demanding. These “perks” not only lift spirits, but they provide a functional service that is needed and reduces daily life stress.

• Networking and Mentors- Similarly, providing a network of mentors or social support groups also serves the functional purpose of encouraging workplace friendships, reducing stress and improving coping abilities. Organizations can promote networking through regular meetings, social media, and informal gatherings to familiarize employees with key members of the organization.

How can employees achieve work-life balance?

• Take breaks, vacations and disconnect from social media- We would all love to take multiple vacations per year, but this might not be realistic for everyone. Small trips out of town can suffice or even a few days off at home. If getting days off is challenging, then try to schedule some down-time/ “me-time” for a few hours in the day. This may look different for everyone. For example, cooking, taking a bubble bath, doing your skincare routine, Netflix etc.

• Schedule activities in a calendar- Yes, writing down your commitments and activities can give you clarity about your availability, so that you do not overcommit or over extend yourself and end up having to cancel because you double-booked yourself, or even worse, you forget about an important event.

• Set boundaries- You cannot be all things to everyone. Though you may want to say yes to every opportunity or task, it is impossible to execute tasks well if you are exhausted. Therefore, it is important to communicate boundaries at work and in your personal life. If something is beyond the scope of your capabilities or time, let it be known, nicely, of course. Don’t make promises that you know you will not be able to keep and if you are crippled by the fear of saying no, then that is a totally different problem that you may want to consider seeking help to overcome.

• Set goals- I think we are all familiar with SMART goals, but make your goals SMARTER- specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely, evaluate and reward yourself when objectives have been successfully met. Be disciplined about achieving your goals by using effective time management skills (e.g. to-do-lists, time blocking and eliminating distractions).