Balancing our professional and personal lives can feel impossible! It is also important to manage, because it can heavily affect us both mentally and physically. We spend much of our lives at work or doing work-related tasks, so when we feel overwhelmed, stressed, or unhappy at work, it can really do a number on us.
Have you ever heard of chronic stress? Even if you have, I am going to explain it anyway. Chronic stress refers to the impact of prolonged exposure to stress on our physical and mental health. We don’t often consider what is happening inside our bodies when we experience an emotion, but a lot is happening. When we feel stressed, our bodies release stress hormones, which can lead to somatic (physical) symptoms. Burnout, which develops from chronic work stress, has been shown to predict muscle and joint pain, headaches, and prolonged fatigue (Salvagioni et al., 2017). Stress is also linked to other poor health outcomes. Workers who experience job strain have about a 16% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Pena-Gralle et al., 2022). Chronic stress is also associated with suppressed immune function (Segerstrom & Miller, 2004), which can leave us more vulnerable to getting sick. Beyond the physical impact, stress changes how we feel day to day. We may become more irritable, experience emotions more intensely than usual, or struggle to feel joy in things we normally love.
So how does this connect back to work-life balance? We spend so much time at work that work-related stress, without the balance of our personal lives, can build into chronic stress. How might this show up? We may start to dislike our work, coworkers, or management. We may feel resentful or have trouble seeing any positives in what we do. We may burn out, feel excessively tired, or struggle to manage our time. Physical symptoms can follow too, such as trouble sleeping, waking up with body aches, or even feeling physically ill at work.
So how do we find balance? When we are not at work, we need to do things that fulfill us, refresh us, and bring us joy. Our personal lives can also be a source of stress because of life events and responsibilities. We can feel like we have tons of tasks to do and that we are back at work as soon as we leave. Still, it is important to spend time with the people we care about and to engage with our own interests. It is common to feel like we don’t have the time, but caring for ourselves can take just 10 to 15 minutes: enjoying a meal, a cup of coffee, or sitting still and doing nothing.
Easy ways to engage with yourself
Take a short walk outside, without your phone if you can.
Listen to a song or playlist you love, and actually listen to it.
Stretch or do some gentle movement while you breathe slowly.
Journal for five minutes about anything on your mind.
Do a hobby you enjoy, like crocheting, drawing, or cooking something just because you want to.
Call or text someone who makes you laugh.
Take a bath or a long shower.
Read a few pages of a book that is not for work or school.
Easy ways to protect your work-life balance
Set a clear “end of day” ritual, like closing your laptop and saying out loud that work is done.
Turn off work notifications after hours.
Take your full lunch break away from your desk.
Use your paid time off, even for a day of doing nothing.
Say no, or “not right now,” to one thing that is not urgent.
Plan one thing each week that you look forward to, and treat it like a meeting you can’t move.
The intention behind these moments is what matters. Intention can be the difference between taking a shower and showering to relax. Taking care of you is a priority, just as much as any other we have.
- Stavros E. Delardas, LCSW
References
Pena-Gralle, A. P. B., Talbot, D., Duchaine, C. S., Lavigne-Robichaud, M., Trudel, X., Aubé, K., Gralle, M., Gilbert-Ouimet, M., Milot, A., & Brisson, C. (2022). Job strain and effort-reward imbalance as risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 48(1), 5-20. <https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3987>
Salvagioni, D. A. J., Melanda, F. N., Mesas, A. E., González, A. D., Gabani, F. L., & Andrade, S. M. (2017). Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. PLOS ONE, 12(10), e0185781. <https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185781>
Segerstrom, S. C., & Miller, G. E. (2004). Psychological stress and the human immune system: A meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry. Psychological Bulletin, 130(4), 601-630. <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1361287>