Work-Life Balance, Identify and Manage

Work-life balance illustration

Many people argue about the work-life balance they apply and want. This topic arose at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic was taking place and almost everyone was working from home. As a software engineer who has the same problem, I want to find out what work-life balance is.

Let’s start with the definition of work and life.

Work

an activity, such as a job, that a person uses physical or mental effort to do, usually for money

or

the material used by someone at work, or what they produce.

There are several types of work based on the schedule.

1. Full Time.
2. Part-Time.
3. Flexible Schedule.
4. Alternative Schedule.

Life

the period between birth and death, or the experience or state of being alive.

or

a way of living or a particular part of someone’s

Reason

Why do you need a work-life balance, even though you are already working, already established, already married, already have a house, already have a car, already an expert in your domain, almost have everything, what is the reason? Some of the reasons that came up were:

1. Difficulty in multitasking.
2. Easier to burn out.
3. Stress fast.

Acknowledge Work-Life Balance

Before this pandemic came, this problem had appeared, but all of that was covered by outdoor activities which incidentally became a lifestyle for some people. Let me start with a brief history of my work experience. After almost more than many years of working in this industry and experiencing several ups and downs, challenges, and all kinds of problems from some companies that I have experienced, it turns out that the need for work-life balance is different. From my initial position as a junior software engineer to where I am now. It turns out that the difference arises because the culture of each company is different and one of them is the work-life balance itself. How come?

Culture in the company arises because of the needs and targets to be achieved. Some things appear for some people in themselves to find a work-life balance starting from trial and error and following the trend that is currently hype. Even chasing targets is also considered a satisfaction and working more than working hours is a pleasure.

I give an example related to the culture can the work-life balance is connected. In my former company, we have a culture, every Friday is party time. You can eat, drink, and hangover. Why does the management need to do this? I believe the management is aware of the pressure itself from the client to the employee.

Let’s talk about DANA. We in DANA have a bounce of tasks that need to be accomplished and need to deliver on time. In that case, we are surrounded by a tight activity to bring our product and the experience is the best for our customers. Besides we are trapped by that daily routine that can be exhausted and will be impacted our mental and health, DANA as a company that already cares about this one facilitates us every once in two weeks with a half-day no meeting day. The company also has a lot of cultures one of them is a Learning Culture which can help some of the employees can learn rather than work only.

Relation Between Lifestyle and Work-Life Balance

Life has a strong relation with lifestyle and will impact work activity itself. Lifestyle is the physical, psychological, social, and economic, values, interests, opinions, and behaviors of a certain individual, group, or community.

Random lifestyle

Flow let the lifestyle how will be. Sometimes lifestyle doesn’t fit with you.

Active lifestyle

If you are hyperactive, outgoing, or a person who loves to always become busy or productive, this lifestyle is for you. An active lifestyle consists of having exercises daily, socializing with people, joining groups or clubs in your neighborhood, and having an active and healthy body and mind.

Having an active lifestyle doesn’t mean you should overuse your body or mind — keep in mind your body or mind, don’t drain your energy.

Healthy lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle is close and fitting with an active lifestyle. To have a healthy lifestyle, you should choose your food, avoid junk foods, saturated fats, and sugar. Eat healthily. Have a diet and don’t overeat since it is not and never healthy plus it makes your kidney tired, which is not healthy too. Have a daily exercise like yoga, just simple exercises to keep your body and mind active and fit. Avoid bad habits and be a responsible person for your own body.

Bohemian lifestyle

If you are an artistic, spiritual, musical person, this lifestyle fits you. To have a bohemian lifestyle you will tend to travel a lot, seek adventures, make time for your spiritual culture, artistic performances, and musical desires. You unleash the beast and go party, be an outsider, put in some boho outfits, and make a lot of friends.

Nomadic lifestyle

A nomad constantly moves from one place to another, a person who doesn’t want to have any permanent place to be in. A lot of people don’t fit this lifestyle since most of us need stability, security, and just can’t leave the place we were born or a place where we fell in love. A nomad feels comfortable and spends most of their time with other people from time to time, but nomads avoid attachments since it might restrain them from leaving a certain place.

Solo lifestyle

People who want to live solo or are incapable of not having anyone to be with them, are mostly very independent people. In a solo lifestyle, you will learn a lot like how to be much more responsible, you’ll learn to entertain yourself, you can do anything you want with no one judging you or controlling you, and you discipline yourself. Having a solo lifestyle is not lonely, you can still have friends of course, and who knows one day you might move on, on having a solo lifestyle if you meet the right person for you.

Rural lifestyle

If you love to grow crops, animals, and love nature and rural areas, then the rural lifestyle is for you. You grow your food, you put up a farm and grow fruits and veggies and maybe animals. A rural lifestyle could be enjoyed by just sitting on your front porch, looking at the field, enjoying your cup of coffee or tea, and just enjoying the fresh breeze. Having a rural lifestyle doesn’t mean it’s just you, your family, your plants, and your animals, you also have that active community, which has a lot of festivities to gather the community having a consistently happy community.

Illustrations can be seen as an example of the activity below.

1. Play stocks, freelance, etc. to make more money for prosperity and prosperity.
2. Learn to improve quality, gather with enthusiastic people to develop themselves, and learn new things.
3. Holidays enjoy the natural atmosphere, seek tranquility and enjoy peace.
4. Get together with friends, socialize, chat with friends, vent in a place that has good spots.
5. Exercise or workout to maintain body fitness.
6. Work happily, get a raise, get a promotion, complete assignments on time, get awards, etc.

All of this arises because they are not consciously or consciously done so that they think it is the right work-life balance for them. However, it should be realized that finding work-life balance itself.

Identification

In this step, we are expected to know ourselves and know what is needed. The steps in this identification can be described below.

1. Understand the importance of work-life balance.
2. Take notes on things that make you balance at work and in daily life.
3. Take note of things that make you out of balance at work and in daily life.
4. Expressing feelings when feeling in balance at work and in daily life.
5. Expressing feelings when feeling out of balance at work and in daily life.
6. Finding the right place you can control.

The implications of the elaboration of these steps into 3 main things, namely.

1. Things that are important and need to be done.
2. Sorting of important things that have been defined.
3. Set short team and long team goals in this order.

Based on my experience in identifying it, I choose the six-point above like this.

1. I understand the importance of work-life for my life and my family.
2. I take a note once a week to reflect on what things are balanced for me, e.g. Wake up early in the morning, have breakfast, start working early, take a nap, workout, learn stuff, etc.
3. I take a note once a week to reflect on what things are out of balance for me, e.g. Doing meetings too often, late sleep, too long workouts, etc.
4. I’m expressing my happiness by sharing it on social media.
5. I’m consulting with my friends, my family for out-of-balance conditions.
6. I can get to what point I can control and at what point I cannot control, e.g. Meeting invitation, set up the meeting, task order, etc.

Goal

From the identification steps that have been carried out, the actual objectives to be achieved are.

1. Work more flexibly.
2. Manage time between work, family, friends, society, and the environment
3. Consider taking a break if needed.
4. Learn how to prioritize things.
5. Protect yourself from stress.

Summary

After following the steps and implementing them, I’m grateful to understand the meaning, the benefit, and the way to identify work-life balance because work-life balance means different things to each person and is dynamic, so it’s best to look deeper into yourself what the desired work-life balance means.

Life-balance change depend on times fly

Happy Identify and Manage 😊! Thank you!