Work life balance looks at the amount of time you spend doing your job compared with the amount of time you spend with your family and doing things you enjoy.
Specifically work-life balance refers to the level of prioritisation between personal and professional activities in an your life and the level to which activities related to their job. Work-life balance involves the minimization of work-related stress.
Work-life balance is a has become a significant issue especially in our post pandemic new normal of work, due to the increased amount of technology that removes the importance of physical location and having more work done at home. Previously it was difficult or impossible depending on the work you do, to take work home and so there was a clear line between professional and personal.
Too much stress over a long period of time leads to workplace burnout.
– Forbes
Stress is a common feature of a poor work-life balance. In the information economy mental stress has been identified as a significant economic and health problem, causing by a perceived need of employees to do more in less time.
The general feeling is that employers have a responsibility to the health of their employees; apart from the moral responsibility, but that is not always the case, and it leads to stressed-out employees, who are less productive and more likely to make errors. A healthy employee work life balance also drives engagement, productivity, and retention.
That is why it is important that you take the steps to improve your work-life balance, to make sure you set realistic schedule and boundaries, focus on your health, take regular breaks, and clearly communicate your needs as work life balance will look different to everyone.