SECRETS TO FINDING YOUR WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Balancing work and family often seems like walking a tightrope. Yet 12 per cent of us say our goal for the new year is to spend more time with our loved ones.
We asked Scott Schieman, a University of Toronto sociology professor who has been studying work-life balance among 6,000 Canadians for a decade, for his advice. How difficult is it to find a good work-life balance? Is it worse in our modern age? I think it feels worse because of the nature of technological change. Communication devices and the flow of demand are much different. Even though I will be off over the holidays, email will never be off, but it will slow down over the holidays. That drives home the point: sometimes when you are on vacation, other people aren’t on vacation and the work still needs to get done. Is that balance tougher to achieve if workers are parents, too? What we see in our research is people feel being rushed for time. For those who are parents, there is a chronic sense of not feeling like they have enough time for their kids. That is a real stressor for people, and it’s chronic . . . It is related to symptoms of anxiety, depression, irritability and sleep problems. Do you have some tips? There are both individual and organizational prescriptions. For individuals, workers have to be clear about the expectations in the workplace. Sometimes expectations, for example, about bringing work home are not exactly clear. They are assumed.
But managers will tell us that they wish the people they manage or supervise wouldn’t necessarily make assumptions. One told us that when he gets emails from people that he supervises or directs on the weekend, he responds that these things can wait, sending the message: “Why are you working on the weekend?” Maybe a flexible work arrangement is the best solution? Flexible arrangements may not necessarily be conducive to a good worklife balance. While on the one hand it may be ideal for your particular needs to take work home . . . it does allow work to creep into family life.
Being required to do work at a fixed location can seem to create constraints. But for people who work from home, or being able to choose start and finish times, be aware of the potential downsides. How does multi-tasking come into play? Sometimes, an employee might need to leave the office early to get to a child’s hockey game, but can finish up work at the arena on the BlackBerry. Some people like the flexible technique or strategy to do it all, or have it all. But you do hear a lot of people saying they do not feel fully engaged in one role or another.
Canadians say, “I can be more productive and efficient. I can get these things done when I do this kind of multi-tasking.” But the other hand, you do hear complaints from family members or friends about not being fully present. Mothers will talk about kids saying, “Mommy is always on the cellphone,” or “Mommy missed my goal.” How much of this pressure is emotional? A lot of what we find is driven by organizational pressure. I was at a conference, and someone used the term that she is just an “overcommitted” worker.
But if you looked at the situation, the worker was taking on other people’s work amid repeated layoffs. If people feel uncertainty or lack a sense of security, they might be more willing to let organizations encroach on their personal time. Are there things people can do? You need to disengage from work in a way that allows you to recharge. That means shutting things down, and definitely don’t check your emails at night. Emails convey a demand or urgency, but you can’t deal with it before bed, so don’t check your email.
Finally, check your priorities. What makes for a higher quality of life? When you get so busy . . . you lose sight of those things. It’s as if you need a Post-it note to remind you what matters. This interview has been edited and condensed