5 Myths about Work-Life Balance

Every day, we’re busy improving our schedules to allow time for everything — work, family, friends, hobbies, etc.

Is that always possible? Of course, no!

Is this normal? Sure thing!

Let’s take a look at the top five work-life balance myths. Exploring these will give you a chance to really bring some balance to your workload!

1. The Balance = 50% of work + 50% of life

In the perfect world, perhaps. In reality, we can’t completely forget about work in the evenings as well as we can’t leave behind personal things while being at work. We are not machines able to abandon irrelevant programs.

The solution is not to separate these spheres but to let them complement each other. Balance is harmonisation, not separation. If you feel okay with replying to a business email before going to sleep, that’s great! If you find yourself staring at the screen instead of communicating with your friends in a restaurant, it’s time to re-think your attitude to work and set healthy boundaries.

The key point is how you feel about that. If you realise that even a quick call causes lots of stress, it’s time to negotiate with a manager about such a busy schedule. Perhaps it is time for a vacation.

2. Working Hard = Career Advancement

Fortunately, this old stereotype doesn’t hold true in the 21st Century. Organisations pay attention to quality, not quantity. Also, great workers shouldn’t be online 24/7!

No one will care about how much time you spent on creating a new product feature if it doesn’t work and meets customers’ expectations. Sure, some companies use time-tracking systems, however, there are fewer of them every year.

We at Collabio Spaces are always focusing on how well tasks are done, not how many of them are closed by colleagues. This means less stress and greater satisfaction thanks to high-quality results. We enjoy it when our app works smoothly and our employees are happy when users achieve their goals fast!

So, if you believe that hours spent at work = productivity, consider other tips for being efficient! ;)

3. You Should Get Up Early to Do More

There is a belief that successful business leaders wake up at 4–5 AM and this allows them to achieve more. Nevertheless, waking up with the birds won’t turn you into Tim Cook or Richard Branson overnight. These people are just early risers, and if you apply their strategy to night owls, no miracles will happen. Not only will you not understand what is written in emails, but will feel out of place all day long.

Better adjust to your own biorhythms. If your productivity peaks in the afternoon, why not use it to your advantage? Leave the most important tasks for the time when you feel the maximum burst of energy.

After rational usage of time, you’ll feel efficient and have created space for new tasks.

4. Time Management Is Always Helpful

Not so long ago, we’ve highlighted the difference between productivity and time management. Many of us still believe that using special techniques helps us achieve better balance. Scheduling everything might be helpful, but sometimes, it results in endless to-do lists. Instead of a better structure, you might come across the feeling that you can’t cope with everything planned.

In fact, better to start with prioritising. Plan what is really important. If you’re a person who loves scheduling everything, add personal stuff to the list as well. If you prefer to see open slots of time and feel comforted by the sense of freedom, why not design it that way! :)

Sometimes, a sense of choice creates more balance than a preplanned programme of action.

5. Less Work = More Happiness

There is no clear connection between how many hours you work and how happy you feel. A person who works two hours a day can feel down, just as someone who spends all day at work and devotes only a couple of hours to their hobbies, can feel delighted.

If you feel that your life is fulfilled without thinking about how much time you spend at work, congratulations! You are closer to balance than those who calculate their working hours!

Also, we are sure that those who enjoy their work don’t have any troubles with work-life balance. Find more details about how to fall in love with what you do here!

We hope that at least one of these points will help you “unload” and edge closer to the balance you strive for.

By the way, we will soon be sharing the life hacks of our colleagues at Collabio Spaces, sharing what helps them maintain a healthy work-life balance!