Navigating your professional and personal responsibilities can be seriously overwhelming.
These days, “hustle culture” seems to be a widely accepted part of modern life, and we’re expected to conform to it. The more we use technology (like keeping our phones on us 24/7), the harder it is to feel like we’re fully off the clock.
Whether you’re working overtime to make ends meet or you’ve found yourself in a super demanding job with unrealistic expectations, it’s all too common for work to take priority over mental health.
In the search for a more sustainable approach to professional life, many people have turned to work-life integration. But what exactly is work-life integration, and what impact does it have on our quality of life?
What is work-life integration?
Similar to work-life balance, the goal of work-life integration is to find a better way to manage your personal and professional life so you can maximize your productivity without compromising your mental health.
While work-life balance focuses on keeping your work life and personal life separate, work-life integration is about taking a more blended approach, seeing the two as connected rather than separate aspects of life.
In this approach, people look at work as just a part of their lives, addressing personal tasks during working hours and vice versa.
A good example of this is the now-popular hybrid working model. Since COVID-19, there’s been a massive shift in how we work, with more and more people splitting their time between the office and working from home and taking a more fluid approach to their working hours.
In fact, 67% of workers who work remotely have seen an improvement in their work-life balance compared to when they worked on-site full-time.
What does work-life integration look like?
- Working from home on certain days or for certain times of the day
- Starting late or finishing early to accommodate for personal tasks like school drop-off or appointments
- Taking virtual meetings outside of the office
- Allowing for travel while working on-the-go
Work-life integration is a fantastic way to manage your personal and professional responsibilities, have a bit more flexibility, and have more control over your schedule. But, blending your work time and personal time can be a little tricky when it comes to mental health.
How do you draw a line between where your work life ends and home life begins? Do you feel like you’re always “on”? When you work from home, how do you relax in the same environment you work and live in?
This is where a healthy, sustainable approach to work-life integration could make a huge difference.
Pros of work-life integration:
- Flexibility: Allows for more freedom in terms of your personal schedule.
- Time efficiency: You can save countless hours every week by managing your time according to your needs and skipping the commute when working remotely.
- Increased productivity: More free time and flexibility is great for both personal and professional productivity levels.
- Fewer expenses: On the days you work from home, you can save a lot of money when you take commute costs out of the picture and eat your meals at home.
Cons of work-life integration:
- Blurred lines: With a blended approach to work-life, it can be hard to draw a line between work and home life.
- Risk of burnout: Feeling the need to be “on” all the time is exhausting. If you blend your work life and personal life, you’ll need to create some healthy boundaries and stick to them to avoid burning out.
- Unclear priorities: Without a truly healthy balance of work and personal tasks, it’s difficult to prioritize yourself, your needs, and your loved ones.
The mental health benefits of balancing professional and personal life
Work-life integration requires a careful approach if you want to make the most of the benefits without falling into negative habits that can make matters worse.
Thankfully, employers are becoming more understanding of their employees’ needs. Many workers now have much more freedom when it comes to balancing their personal and professional lives, opening them up to a whole host of mental health benefits.
- Reduced stress and burnout: Overworking is incredibly unsustainable and always results in stress and burnout. An integrated approach mitigates the risk.
- Better job satisfaction: Less stress at work means a lower likelihood of resentment towards your job. A win-win for you and your employer!
- Improved relationships: 83% of people feel that work burnout negatively affects their relationships. A better balance means more quality time with loved ones.
- Increased creativity: With more flexibility in your time at work and at home, you open yourself up to creative possibilities.
- Improved overall wellbeing: Feeling happier at work and at home improves both your mental and physical health.
- Lower risk of mental health disorders: Life is unpredictable. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can happen to anyone. Taking care of yourself in the ways you can control is a great way to build resilience and keep more serious mental health problems at bay.
How to find a work-life balance that works for you
It’s important to note that a healthy work-life balance looks different for everyone, so don’t measure your own needs based on someone else’s. What works for your colleague might not be the right solution for you.
Finding the right balance between professional and personal responsibilities is often a process, so take the time you need to find your own path. Here are a few helpful tips to get you started.
- Set boundaries: Don’t be afraid to identify and ask for your needs to be met, especially when it comes to your personal and work time.
- Prioritize tasks: Identify your most urgent and important tasks and focus on those. At the end of the day, anything beyond that can wait.
- Take breaks: Make sure to take regular breaks and give yourself enough time to engage in personal activities that bring you joy.
- Create a nice environment: When you’re working from home, make your workspace as comfortable and stress-free as possible. If you can, try to create a separation between where you work and where you relax.
- Practice self-compassion: Understand that sometimes you’ll need to respond to your own needs as they arise. Listen to your mind and body when you’re working.
- Get support: If you’re overwhelmed and struggling with your professional and personal obligations, reach out to your employer, colleagues, or a professional for the help you need.
Related: Is it ok to take a break from work?
Move forward with Western Tidewater CSB
Whether you’re just starting to feel the stress or you’re in the middle of a mental health crisis, you don’t need to take it on alone.
Our team of trained, experienced, and compassionate professionals is on-hand 24/7 to help you achieve work-life balance and support work-life integration in a meaningful, sustainable way.
We’re here to provide relief for everyone, giving you a real sense of hope for your future in both your personal and professional life.
Make an appointment online today for same-day access or simply give us at 757-758-5106, and a friendly member of our team will be more than happy to help you get started.