Work-Life Balance: Definition, Books, & Tips

By Tristan Williams, Ph.D.
​Reviewed by Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.
You’re not alone if you struggle to achieve the ideal work-life balance. This article will cover tips for managing time, disconnecting from work, and caring for yourself.
*This page may include affiliate links; that means we earn from qualifying purchases of products.
Recently, work-life balance has become a buzzword we see all over the internet. While work-life balance is something most everyone knows about, very few people know exactly what it entails.

In the age of technology, it has become all too easy for work to bleed into our personal time. I know that for me personally, I have the bad habit of checking my work email at all hours of the day and constantly feeling like I’m “at work”. ​​
Surely there has to be a better way to accomplish what needs to be done without always being on the clock. Well, there is. In this article, we’ll go over what work-life balance is and how to achieve it.
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What Is Work-Life Balance? (A Definition)

To put it in simple terms, work-life balance is the amount of time you spend doing your job versus the amount of time that you spend at home – home time is, for example, time spent with friends, family, and pursuing your personal interests (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.).

Since the pandemic, the term ‘work-life balance’ has been under increased scrutiny due to its suggestion that our work and our personal lives are in different and adversarial spheres competing for our time. This can result in an unhealthy relationship with our work or personal life where we end up feeling guilty no matter which one we prioritize (Hochwarter et al., 2007).

Some people believe in advocating for work-life integration versus work-life balance. They believe that a synergistic blending of our work and personal responsibilities is the best approach (Burke, 2006). This perspective places work as another spoke on the wheel of our lives, to be considered alongside other ‘spokes’ such as our family lives and personal well-being. Supporters of this approach argue that each element feeds into one another and is essential for us to thrive. Ultimately, whether you agree with work-life integration or work-life balance, overall the goal is the same: to manage your time between work and home in a way that benefits you.

Why is Work-Life Balance Important?

When your work-life balance is off center, there can be a myriad of mental, physical, and emotional problems that arise.

For example, when you work long hours, it can lead to serious health issues such as (Sultan & Nag, 2020):
  • Impaired sleep
  • Depression
  • Heavy Drinking
  • Diabetes
  • Impaired Memory
  • Heart Disease

When these issues arise, they often contribute to a backlog of work and thus further feed into a vicious cycle of always trying to catch up—this can make a work-life balance even harder to achieve.

It can be tough though because many people believe that working a lot equates to being a good worker. However, working long hours isn’t the key to increased productivity. A study in 2015 found that when workers hit a certain number of hours, their productivity also decreased (Pencavel, 2015). At this threshold, their potential for mistakes and injuries also increased. In general, achieving a work-life balance is best not just for your well-being but also for your productivity.

Here are some benefits of a better work-life balance:
  • Increased joy. We are happier when we have time for the people and things we care about.
  • Increased productivity. When you have time to rest and accomplish things personally, you are more likely to have a productive career.
  • Better career satisfaction. When you are not always stressed about reaching deadlines and thinking about work 24/7, you are more likely to be satisfied with your work.
  • Better health. When you achieve a work-life balance, it can help reduce stress. This leaves you more time for healthier activities such as exercise or mindfulness meditation.

Tips for Work-Life Balance

Now that we know what a work-life balance is and why it’s so important, how do we achieve it?
Here are some tips to help you (Bartlett et al., 2021):

1. Time management. The most important of the tips is learning how to best use your time. There are many ways to do this; I like to keep a schedule and write down all the meetings or commitments I have for the week. This enables me to make a timetable, preventing me from overscheduling and organizing my tasks more efficiently.
 
2. Prioritize and set goals. Once you have your schedule, you can prioritize your personal values and reassess your strategy to honor them. Ask yourself, what really matters to me, and am I doing it? Where am I making compromises, and should I? What are my alternatives? You may want to rethink what your values are and change what you prioritize. You may have different things you want to accomplish by the end of the day, the week, or even the year. Once you know your priorities, you can establish personal goals based on them to act as a guide in navigating your decisions.
 
3. Put yourself first. Sometimes, you have to advocate for yourself. To have better health, it may help to ensure you have time to exercise, plan your meals, and in general to have downtime for yourself. Another essential skill is learning that it’s okay to say no sometimes. Be careful not to overschedule yourself and spread yourself too thin—in the end, this can negatively affect your mental health and physical health and your performance at work.
 
4. Develop a support system. There is no shame in seeking support. We are fundamentally social beings, and building connections with our community is essential to a happy life. At work, it may help to join forces with co-workers that you know will support you and vice versa. At home, friends and loved ones may be able to help you with tasks such as childcare or household chores whenever you are overwhelmed at work. Making such bonds can help you when you are stretched for time.
 
5. Know when to seek professional help. Life and work can become too much even after following all the tips beforehand. Life inherently can be chaotic, and trying to manage it while also dealing with work stressors can become too much for anyone. If you feel anxious or depressed due to a disrupted work-life balance, feel no shame in seeking a mental health provider.
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Here is a video describing other ways to help achieve a work-life balance:

Video: How To Make Work-life Balance Work

Best Jobs for Work-Life Balance

Although the tips above can potentially be applied to any profession, some jobs may make it easier to achieve a work-life balance than others.

A study conducted by Glassdoor Economic Research showed which top industries had the highest work-life balance ratings based on employee reviews (Thomas, 2021):
1.      Tech
2.      Real estate
3.      Aerospace and defense
4.      Finance
5.      Insurance

All these industries received high scores, which included criteria such as innovative programs, ability to work remotely, flexible work schedules, and unlimited paid time off (PTO).

Here is a list of specific jobs from that study that are rated to have a good work-life balance:

1. Real Estate Agent. Average salary: $99,297. Real estate agents work with clients to buy, sell, and rent different properties.

2. Insurance Agent. Average salary: $57,056. Insurance agents sell different insurance companies’ products to clients.

3. Computer Programmer. Average salary: $48,470. Computer programmers create operating and application systems and are proficient at coding.

4. Dental Hygienist. Average salary: $78,148. Dental hygienists help the dentist and provide oral care such as teeth examinations to patients. 

5. User Interface Designer. Average salary: $85,296. User interface or UI designers research and evaluate a web user’s requirements in order to ensure websites have attractive design layouts and provide a good user experience.

6. Statistician. Average salary: $73,637. Statisticians analyze data to help different businesses and industries understand trends and make decisions.

7. Research Technician. Average salary: $40,007. Research technicians assist scientists by performing the hands-on portion of experiments and research.

8. Web Developer. Average salary: $46,447. Web developers maintain and build websites and have various design and programming skills.

9. Project Manager. Average salary: $73,859. Project managers organize, plan, and execute projects for different industries.

10. Social Media Manager. Average salary: $50,266. Social media managers handle all aspects of the social media presence of a company, organization, or individual.  

11. Executive Assistant. Average salary: $55,852. Executive assistants perform various administrative tasks such as accepting phone calls, sending emails, and preparing different reports for company executives.

12. Financial Advisor. Average salary: $120,956. Financial advisors aid clients manage and plan their finances by helping them set goals, invest, and maneuver tax laws.

13. Recruitment Specialist. Average salary: $63,199. Recruiters handle the hiring of talent, including sourcing and screening candidates for companies and other organizations.

14. Mobile Developer. Average salary: $117,311. Mobile developers support and create mobile applications including design, testing, and sequential release.

15. Data Analyst. Average salary: $63,260. Data analysts collect, clean, study, and model data to aid organizations and companies in making informed decisions.

Quotes on Work-Life Balance

  1. “Balance is a feeling derived from being whole and complete; it’s a sense of harmony. It is essential to maintaining quality in life and work.” — Joshua Osenga
  2. “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” — Dolly Parton
  3.  “Invest in your work-life balance. Time with friends and family is as important as times at work. Getting that out of balance is a path toward unhappiness.” — Stephen Gillett
  4. “Balance provides the chance for longevity. You can be a champion at work and at home.” — Tony Dungy
  5.  “You will never be truly satisfied by work until you are satisfied by life.” — Heather Schuck
  6.  “When you have balance in your life, work becomes an entirely different experience. There is a passion that moves you to a whole new level of fulfillment and gratitude, and that’s when you can do your best, for yourself and for others.” — Cara Delevingne
  7.  “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” — Stephen R. Covey

Articles Related to Work-Life Balance

​Want to learn more? Check out these articles:​​​

Books Related to Work-Life Balance

Here are my top five picks for books that may provide you novel insight into achieving a work-life balance:

1.The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich – Timothy Ferriss.
This book is a number 1 bestseller. Ferriss encourages you to live an enjoyable life in the present and provides real-life examples along with templates to help you achieve a work-life balance.

2. Work-Life Brilliance: Tools to Break Stress and Create the Life and Health You Crave – Denise Green and Susan Scott.
This book will help those who often feel overwhelmed by time. The authors share their experiences and tips for reducing stress, changing habits, and shifting negative outlooks into positive ones.

3. Off Balance: Getting Beyond the Work-Life Balance Myth to Personal and Professional Satisfaction – Matthew Kelly.

In this book, Kelly advocates that life is unexpected, and we can’t expect perfectly balanced lives in the short term. Instead, he shares his system to achieve professional and personal satisfaction and how to identify our biggest priorities.

4. Do Less, Get More: How to Work Smart and Live Life Your Way – Shaa Wasmund.
This book reminds us not to worry about other people’s agendas and to focus on what makes our lives fulfilling and enjoyable. The author teaches you strategies to say no and how to streamline your career and relationships.
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5. Life Matters: Creating a Dynamic Balance of Work, Family, Time, and Money - A. Roger Merrill and Rebecca A. Merrill.
This book helps people figure out what questions to ask themselves when pursuing a work-life balance. The authors are time management experts and disclose their thoughts on how to organize family, money, work, and time

Here are a few more books you may be interested in:

Final Thoughts on Work-Life Balance

Remember that a work-life balance will not look the same for everyone. In fact, it could even be said that the perfect work-life balance doesn’t exist. Instead, a work-life balance is a continuous process as your family, interests, and work change. It may be helpful to examine your priorities and make changes accordingly periodically.

The bottom line is to find a work-life balance that works for you and not be afraid to change things up from time to time. Life is rarely static and constantly changing; in turn, we may find it helpful to adapt and change with time. Identify the things in your life that give you the most purpose and fulfillment, manage your time to honor them, and ultimately make it happen.

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