Here's how your pursuit of work-life balance could burn you out

Many people who are in active employment tend to let their work take precedence over everything else in their lives. This could take the form of bringing your work home with you, or constantly worrying or talking about issues from work. Achieving a harmonious balance between your professional and work-life balance is necessary for your mental and physical well-being. But it could be challenging for various reasons.

No perfect work-life balance

The reason why you may be finding it difficult having that needed equilibrium in these two important aspects of life is, could be because you are searching for the most ideal outcome. You may think this balance means having a super productive day at work and spending the rest of the day dining or catching with friends and family.

But, according to founder of the career mentoring group, #BossinHeels, Heather Monahan, this outlook is not always possible to maintain.

It is important to remain fluid and constantly assess where you are [versus] your goals and priorities. At times, your children may need you, and other times, you may need to travel for work, but allowing yourself to remain open to redirecting and assessing your needs on any day is key in finding balance.

Be realistic

Instead of focusing on having the perfect balance between work and personal life, you should aim for something that is more realistic. For instance, there are days you will spend more time and energy on work, while on others, you feel motivated to spend quality time with friends, family or just by yourself.

You achieve balance over time, not on a daily basis, according to Psychology Today. An organizational psychologist at Wharton Business School, Dr. Stewart Friedman explains:

Almost 30 years of research2 suggests that we don’t have to sacrifice the things that matter most to us in our personal lives in order to succeed in our careers.

You should also set firm boundaries around work hours, especially if you’re working from home. When you’re off the clock, try not to respond to emails or think about work.

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