Work-Life Wellness: Drawing Lines Between Work and Life

The boundaries between work and life keep blurring. Technology makes it possible to work from almost anywhere, and many people now work from home at least part of the time. Life overlaps with work in ordinary ways too, like a medical appointment during work hours or a sick child at home. So how do you draw a line between the two, and is balance even the right goal?

From balance to wellness

Finding a clear separation between work and life is central to the traditional idea of work-life balance. Other terms have emerged to better capture how complex the relationship can be, including work-life integration, the work-life interface, and work-life wellness.

Thinking in terms of work-life wellness opens up more ways for work and life to enrich and enhance each other, instead of chasing a sense of balance that's often out of reach.

Strategies for work-life wellness

• Reflect on your personal preferences, and on how you're doing with work-life wellness right now.
• Notice what energizes you, and consciously make time for it during the day, at work or in your personal time. Even half an hour a day spent on something that gives you energy can raise your sense of wellbeing.
• If most of your time goes to work, look for work opportunities that align better with your values, interests, personality and skills. Let your values guide how you prioritize and organize your time, and which goals you set.

Creating separation between work and life

One way to distinguish work from life is to create separation on three levels: physical, psychological and behavioural. Reaffirming these boundaries with yourself, with colleagues if you need to, and with the people you share a work and living space with can act as guidelines when the lines start to blur.

Physical separation

• Go for a walk outdoors, or get moving at the gym, after work.
• If you work from home, use one specific space for work, and move away from it when the workday is done.

Psychological separation

• Try to leave thoughts about work behind when the workday is done and you're spending time with family, friends or just yourself.
• Take a few minutes at the end of the day to review what you finished and make a to-do list for tomorrow, leaving those thoughts on the page and out of your mind.

Behavioural separation

• If you can, set times during the day to check and respond to work email, and try not to check your inbox outside them.
• Consider changing in and out of work clothes to signal the start and end of your day.

If you'd like support with work-life wellness, Liliana Gonzalez and our other psychologists can help. Read about stress and burnout counselling, or book a free 15-minute consultation.