What is work-life balance?

Work-life balance is typically defined as the amount of time you spend doing your job versus the amount of time you spend doing what’s important to you outside of work, whether that is with loved ones or pursuing personal interests and hobbies [1]. When work demands more of your time or attention, you’ll have less time to handle your other responsibilities or passions.

Many people want to achieve a greater balance between their work life and their personal life. But in practice, it can be difficult to achieve. Sometimes a demanding job means more money to support a family. Sometimes a job contributes to deteriorating your mental health, which then leaves you drained in personal relationships.

Work-life integration—or the synergistic blending of our personal and professional responsibilities—has become an increasingly popular concept [2]. Work is simply one aspect of our lives that needs to be considered alongside other our home and family lives, our community, and our personal well-being. Rather than resembling a scale with two competing sides, work-life integration more resembles a Venn diagram of overlapping interests.