Workplace Wellness: “Work-Life Balance” is Stupid, But Not For the Reason You Think

The hill I’m going to die on (so to speak of course) is “work-life balance”. But not because I hate the word balance. I’m not a huge fan of it but I can get over it. I’ll explain why later so give me a chance before you jump on that.

It’s actually the word “life” that I object to.

True or False. Work is a part of life.

True. No matter who you are, you have to engage in some sort of effort to provide for yourself. And it’s safe to assume anyone reading this is engaged in some sort of professional work endeavor in order to provide the resources they need to (hopefully) support their lifestyle.

So if work is part of life, then the term “Work-Life Balance” is stupid because it denies the very fact that work is part of life. No wonder you don’t feel like you can balance anything. In some scholarly literature, the term used is “work/non-work”. It may not sound as sexy when you’re hashtagging. But at least it’s more accurate.

Another option, and I use this more frequently than “work/non-work,” is “personal-professional”. It rolls off the tongue better than “work/non-work” and speaks to the types of clients I typically work with. However, it may not feel accessible to stay-at-home-parents (SAHP) because the word “professional” has an office-like connotation. So, we’re back to “work/non-work”…because they too are in need of support to balance (I’m coming to this word I promise) the conflicting demands their roles are placing on them.

Most people have to navigate between different roles. You’ve probably heard it described as wearing multiple hats. You might be a student+part-time employee+athlete. You might be a SAHP+side-hustler+volunteer. You might be an employee growing a business on the side, while also caretaking for your aging parents. Or any combination of these and more.

And each role brings expectations from yourself and others. If you don’t recognize this and don’t know how to manage them, you can experience stress, exhaustion, cynicism, and lack of confidence…leading to burnout.

“Balance”

This is the concept of “work-life balance”. Of course, the word “balance” has been debated and people are pushing for use of an alternative word like “integration” or “harmony” or “blend”.

To me, the problem with the word “balance” is that it implies a static state. I envision someone finally achieving “balance” and then shouting to the world, “OK, nobody move or breathe…I’ve finally nailed it…do not rock the boat!” Like my friend who posted that she finally had all the counters cleaned and then posted 30 minutes later an update with backpacks and after-school-snack remnants scattered about.

If we have to use “balance,” we could try “balancing” because it at least implies constant action, which is what it takes. Whether it's integration, harmony, or blend, all require consistent action to achieve and maintain.

When it comes to balance, balancing, harmony, integration, or blend, it seems more a debate over semantics. Pick the word that best describes what your goal is for a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life while juggling the various hats you’re wearing.

“Life”

The word that seems less up to semantics is “life”. To bring this full circle, the goal of “work-life balance” is to promote the idea of living a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life. We cannot do that if we use a term that denies the fact that work is part of life. Underneath the umbrella of life is our personal worlds, which also take work. And our professional worlds, which also bring fulfillment.

If you’ve been struggling with the term “work-life balance” (or integration or harmony or blend) try tweaking the words “work-life” and see how that lands. It might help you, even subconsciously, view all the roles you’re trying to juggle in a new way.

Maybe that’s what we should call it, “role balancing”…

If you try this, let me know how it works. Already found a phrase that works for you? Let me know what it is!