Many people find it hard to balance work with other parts of their lives. What are the reasons for this? How can this problem be overcome?
Maintaining a work-life balance is one of the most important goals that is set by working individuals nowadays. A problem that is faced by many people seems to be that they are unable to complete their work and achieve their professional goals while also making time for family.
One of the main reasons for this is the increased job pressures. Work seems to have increased across the board but the resources available to employees to deal with this increased burden seem to have remained the same. For example, the responsibilities for a particular role (say, a doctor) have increased but the training and guidance available to employees to do their job well hasn’t.
Moreover, there is also the phenomenon of increased competition. Employees now have access to greater talent- in terms of both quality and quantity. The quality of talent has increased because the standards for a particular job have risen over time. The quantity of talent has increased because of globalisation. As a result of this, more people have access to educational resources that they can use to learn various skills, such as coding. Immigration has also increased, so employees are competing with a global supply of workers.
There are steps that can be taken to mitigate this situation. The first is setting strict limits for work time. If you set 8 p.m. as your limit, you shouldn’t allow yourself to work beyond that time. You should also make sure to be fully present with your family when you are spending time with them- avoid any thoughts of work.
In summary, various factors have contributed to the worsening of work-life balance among employees, including increased work and competition. However, this goal can still be achieved by taking certain steps.