What is work-life balance? Discuss various challenges faced in it
Employees taking a lot of time off to deal with 'emergencies'
involving children or other Dependants. High levels of employee stress. high rates of absenteeism
or staff sickness. High levels of staff turnover. Ork-life balance was
first mentioned in the UK at the end of the 1970s. Obviously, since those days,
a lot has happened in the professional and the personal world.
Every challenge we encounter adds to pressure,
pressure leads to stress, stress leads to emotional and physical unbalance and
unhappiness. So, it is important to overcome challenges, in order to maintain a
healthy work-life balance.
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What is work-life balance? Discuss various challenges faced in
it
1. Unrealistic demands
The demands that work and life throw at us can easily mount
up to incredible levels. Unreasonable demands at work, arrangements that are
eating into personal time, such as weekend meetings, and technology overload
are mentioned as adding a lot of pressure. Demands of personal life are adding
pressure to work, as time is required to accommodate family or friends, and are
eating into work-time.
Think of family members with intensive schedules, impacting
on yours (the mum that needs to ferry the athlete to extra training sessions or
matches, or the partner that decides to do an evening course), or when
expectations are set by others (like a monthly visit to parents). Meeting too
many demands is a threat to the healthy balance.
How to deal with it?
It is important to be clear about what you want from work and
life. Are the demands justified in the light of what you want? For every
challenge, go through the questions: what do I gain from doing it and what is
the price I pay? Who else gains from it and who else pays a price? This gives
you a good structure to make a choice.
2. Lack of control
Lack of control is creating pressure, as it leaves you
‘hanging in there, with a dark cloud above your head’. It is difficult to deal
with the uncontrollable workload or the insecurity of the situation of the
company you work in. In personal circumstances aspects as illness, exams, kid
issues can feel as if all control is gone and is very stressful.
How to deal with it?
The way to respond to lack of control is to find a different
internal response. Feeling frustrated by the lack of control makes it worse.
Accepting the situation for what it is, at this moment in time, won’t sap your
energy and make you more efficient. Sometimes, you just have to go with the
flow.
What is work-life balance? Discuss various challenges faced in
it
3. Unsupportive relationships
Unsupportive relationships at work, aversive behaviour or not
getting credits, are creating a difficult and unproductive work environment
whilst making people feel isolated. Unsupportive relationships at home, where
no one helps each other or considers other people’s pressures creates
frustration and unhappiness.
How to deal with it?
This comes down to people management, communication and
expectations. Are you asking for support? Are you clear on what support you
want? Could it be your expectations are not realistic?
4. Lack of resources
Not enough resources or not the right ones are really
affecting how life can be organised. The absence of a PA or a good babysitter
are both examples of important lacks.
How to deal with it?
Take action and try to be creative. If you can’t find a PA,
could you outsource part of the tasks? Alternatively, lower your standards in
certain areas. Something has to give, and it shouldn’t be you.
5. Unhelpful attitude
Resilience in challenging circumstances determines how well
someone is coping and finding a way forward. If the energy levels are low and
undermined, due to all the different challenges, it can be really hard to find
that resilience.
How to deal with it?
One of the healthy ways of building resilience is meditation.
There are plenty of short and easy ways to bring in a mindfulness meditation
into your day.
6. No skills
Surviving and managing the challenges above and the personal
awareness and behaviour that goes with it, are professional and life skills. No
skills? Lots of stress.
How to deal with it?
When you recognise your weaknesses in certain areas, such as
communication, confidence or practical skills, take action to develop skills.
This will also make you feel more in control.
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What is work-life balance? Discuss various challenges faced in
it
7. High-stress levels
All the above challenges can appear in anybody’s life and
will add to stress levels. Not being able to handle stress will kill any chance
of a healthy work-life balance.
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IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:-
1) Describe the two aspects of compensation theory.
2) Explain the instrumental model of work life balance.
3) What is work-family conflict?
4) What are the psychological consequences of work life imbalance?
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