What A Poor Work-Life Balance Can Do To You
Work-life balance is the Holy Grail of the corporate world. Everyone wants to achieve it, and there are many articles, books, podcasts, and resources exploring how to maintain it. Business leaders have had near-endless discussions on how to foster work-life balance.
If you’re in the habit of reading our articles on Ciircles.com, you know we believe work-life balance is a scam. Instead of trying to balance two separate “halves” — our work half and our personal half — we’re proponents of flexible work that allows our people to integrate all aspects of their lives into one satisfying whole.
Still, we understand the sentiment behind work-life balance. If your company isn’t the type that can allow remote, asynchronous, or flexible work, caring about work-life balance at least means you want something attainable and sustainable for your employees.
As we all should. A poor work-life balance has catastrophic effects — on your people as well as your bottom line. Instead of wishing you could offer your teams a more balanced life, it’s time to start prioritizing it.
The Consequences of Poor Work-Life Balance
When work is out of balance with the rest of your life, disastrous consequences unfold. It’s not as simple as feeling unhappy with your job or being a bit tired at the end of the day. Instead, poor work-life balance takes a massive toll on our physical and emotional health, and it prevents us from accomplishing our goals and finding fulfillment.
The consequences of poor work-life balance can be divided into three categories, each worse than the last:
Poor Work Performance
An imbalanced life often stems from a heavy workload or lack of boundaries. Those without work-life integration, harmony, or balance are usually sacrificing major aspects of their life in an attempt to get more work done. Ironically, the opposite occurs.
Because a work-life imbalance is stressful and draining, it eventually affects work performance. Engagement and creativity tank. Progress slows. Collaboration feels like pulling teeth. Instead of leading to faster progress and great achievements, poor work-life balance results in the exact opposite.
Balance, on the other hand, is sustainable. Employees who prioritize their families, their health, and their passions are more engaged and innovative. The areas outside of work fuel their performance at work, allowing them to accomplish their goals with energy to spare.
Unhappy Personal Life
The negative consequences of an imbalanced life go beyond work and career. The true toxic nature of poor work-life balance is how it destroys every area of life. As discussed above, it doesn’t improve our careers. And, it’s fertile soil for an unhappy personal life.
Think back to the last time you were dissatisfied with your work-life situation, and why you felt that way. You likely worked long hours, then came home exhausted with little interest in being social or participating in your hobbies. The longer you go with an imbalanced life, the more you feel like a shell of who you once were. One day, you look around and realize that nothing in life brings you joy.
Conversely, a life with good balance allows us to make time for all of the things we hold dear, including our loved ones, rest, rejuvenating activities, and work. In short, it allows us to be our true selves — in every area of life.
Poor Health
Perhaps the most significant consequence of poor work-life balance is the toll it takes on our health — both mental and physical.
As mentioned above, a common sign of poor work/life harmony is stress and exhaustion. Faced with these feelings every single day, we eventually become depressed and hopeless. In extreme cases, life stops feeling worthwhile at all. It may seem like every day is a punishment, and no matter how hard you work, you’re never making progress or achieving anything.
But that’s not all. Poor work-life balance is directly related to poor physical health, including greater risk of stroke and heart disease. These are the body’s natural responses to endless stress and exhaustion. When work takes over our lives, it’s not just frustrating and disheartening — it’s downright dangerous.
Work-life integration and balance allow us to prioritize our health and well-being. With boundaries in place, we are more attuned to our body’s needs, and we can tend to them in due time instead of pushing them off for days, weeks, or months.
Work-Life Balance is Work-Life Success
No matter how fast-paced your industry is, no matter what demands your clients put on your company, a healthy work-life balance — preferably work-life integration — is the key to success. This means boundaries must be in place, no matter how overloaded your plate feels.
As leaders, we can’t stop at protecting our own boundaries. We must also protect our people by encouraging (even demanding) that they do the same. PTO minimums, taking breaks, disconnecting every evening, and more — insist on policies that enable them to embrace all areas of life. Rather than taking them away from their jobs, work-life balance ensures they’re able to bring their very best to the table each and every workday.