Balancing private life and work is not always easy. What matters and what you can do.
Definition of work-life balance
The translation of the English terms is work, life and balance. The meaning can be quickly derived from the combination of the terms: The work-life balance aims to bring the areas of work and (private) life into balance. Why do they even exist?
That is why the work-life balance is important
Stress, flexibility and delimitation of work and a lack of compatibility between family and work lead to the fact that we should deal with the right balance between the two areas of life. The term can be interpreted in such a way that work and life belong separately and that work is not a real "life" … But not everyone finds great fulfillment in their job – and it doesn't have to be. Nevertheless, for most work, whether self-employed or employed, is part of life. However, the boundaries between work and private life are becoming more and more blurred …
- …. be it through Unrestricted work (e.g. because of home office or constant availability with smartphones) and / or …
- … through (actual or self-made) printTo want to give everything in the job or to have to and be able to do everything.
That certainly does not apply to all employees. But in some professions or industries in which companies z. For example, when they feel the shortage of skilled workers, employees often work to the limit – a balance between the two areas of life is so difficult. Because everything is not always in our hands: Inadequate pay (e.g. not being able to work less), shift work and a poor work-life balance make a balanced relationship difficult.
If the job takes up too much space, it can be hazardous to health: Burnout is a syndrome in which the person concerned feels burned out both physically and mentally. In the case of burnout, the cause is not always in the professional context, but can also have causes in private life. You can find out more about burnout here.
Divide work and life fairly?
The work-life balance does not imply a 50:50 division, it is an individual decision. For some, professional advancement is important, but they may find themselves backing up in their private lives and giving more space to the world of work. Others, on the other hand, focus on family, hobbies and / or volunteering and are left behind at work. The prioritization can also change in the course of life. If professional or family wishes are fulfilled, another area may gain importance over time.
Work-life balance and company
Companies have now recognized that their own work-life balance is important to people and offer various options for employees, such as:
- Flexible working hours (flexitime, working time accounts)
- Part-time work / other working time models
- Home office and mobile working
- Job sharing
- Company health care (health offers such as sports courses or massage)
- Self-management offers (e.g. time management)
- childcare
Offers like these are intended to support a good work-life balance – from which employers also want to benefit, e.g. B. through motivated and healthy employees.
Like many things in life, some of these offers have advantages and disadvantages. This is shown by a DAK study that surveyed employees who worked from home during the Corona crisis. The participants found the following advantages:
59 percent said they were more productive in the home office
- 68 percent found it positive that they no longer have to commute to work and thus have more time
- 77 percent had more time with their family thanks to the home office
- 65 percent of those surveyed estimated that the day would be more flexible
- The proportion of those who felt stressed every day decreased by 29 percent
The home office seems to make a big contribution to a balanced relationship, but in some cases it led to the opposite: every second person under 30 stated that they could no longer properly separate work and private life.
What to do?
How can the balance between the two worlds succeed? Anyone who enjoys their professional activity and invests a lot of time should pursue this further – there is no reason to change that. Just like with people who want more time with their family and want to reduce their working hours.
A blanket answer to this question does not make sense, too different are professional activities and their requirements as well as family constellations, own needs and desires and general life plans. It is important to first find out where the problem is if there is a problem. Here are a few questions for guidance;
- Does the job take up too much space? Why is it like that (too much overtime, too many tasks, …)? Can that be changed through a different working time model or through the right stress or time management?
- Do I use my free time as I wish? If not, what is the reason and how can I change it?
- What is unnecessarily draining my energy?
- What do I contribute to the fact that the two areas of life are not balanced? Do professional and private appointments have the same priority for me – should they have that?
If you know where the stumbling blocks are, the second step is implementation – step by step.
Tips for a good work-life balance
- If you often work overtime, ask yourself why. If the quota is simply not manageable in your working hours, you can talk to your manager. Or try out time management methods for yourself.
- Would you like to take care of your family more? Perhaps it is possible to reduce working hours or make them more flexible.
- Working longer doesn't necessarily mean being more productive! In the meantime, a few companies try their hand at 5-hour days or 4-day weeks and find that productivity does not suffer as a result, but in some cases even increases!
- Recovery phases are important for regeneration. How they look depends on the person. It can be relaxing with a book, but it can also be sports, music or something else.
Column models for a happy life
Satisfaction in life does not necessarily arise from the fact that things are going particularly well in one area of life – and not at all in the rest. Maybe that is Look at the big picture a help to not only live your own work-life balance, but to bring your entire life into harmony.
There are already a number of balance models that want to have identified the important areas of life for a happy or contented life. The journalist and speaker Emily Smith sees four pillars for a successful life, which result from research results, literature and philosophy:
- Affiliation: Experience fellowship with others
- determination: Find a purpose in life for yourself
- Stories: We develop our own identity through storytelling
- Experience of a great whole: the self in connection with the big picture
(from: "Happiness alone makes no sense, The four pillars of a fulfilled life", Goldmann Verlag, 2020)
The balance model according to Nossrat Peseschkian also contains four important areas:
- Social contacts
- Health and body
- Meaning and culture
- Profession and achievement
Some column models have four, others five or even seven columns. But they always go beyond the division of work and private life. This can help to identify what is important to you, what you want to focus on or what you might still be missing in life. You can ask yourself questions about each area, such as:
- Do I have people around me whom I can trust?
- Do I see friends and family often enough?
- What can I do for my physical and mental health?
- Do I have enough time for myself?
- Is there anything useful in life for me?
- What is important to me
- What are my goals?
- Am I satisfied with my job?
With the help of self-reflection you can find out how to bring your work-life balance or your life balance into harmony that suits you.
Tip: In the BRIGITTE community you can exchange ideas with others on all aspects of job issues.