Do you need a better “work/life” balance?

We can hardly still talk about a „work/life balance“, which has become as outdated as the typical 9 to 5 job.

For so many of us, this separation of work and life no longer exists. And for some, when there is a separation of work and life, then work is something to „get done“ and then life begins. And nothing could be sadder, than when a third of our life is not considered as living. 

We juggle between home office, family, children, physical exercise, a social life, career advancement seminars, grocery shopping, and squeeze in non-work appointments. We eat lunch at our desks, write e-mails in bed, networking is the new socializing and our organizations have integrated Kindergartens, „nap pods“ and gyms. Our workplace is made more „livable“ while our homes look more and more like offices. We end up with schedule conflicts, making ourselves available around the clock, and our minds are always on the fast track. Our lives are like constantly eating from a one-pot stew made up of breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and drinks, with everything stirred in together and no space to come up for air.

We need to get the balance back into our lives.

Work demands

Today’s job demands are broader than they have ever been. With AI rising, we have to sharpen our skills; soft, hard and in-between. while understanding new technological development plus being more attuned to social and cultural interconnections in a diverse world. As good as these changes are, we also need the time, space, and knowledge to adjust to them. 

Social demands

When we think of being social we don’t automatically think of it being demanding. But I’m sure that at least once you’ve wanted to just curl up on the couch with a blanket, book, and some tea, and not go to that invitation. The problem with being social today is that we are social all the time. Social media has even become a job position because it is so demanding. And interconnecting socially has never been more correct and at the same time more exhausting. With parents of different ethnical backgrounds and not living in the country of my birth, I can wholeheartedly say that a wake-up call in DEI was long overdue. But where words would be spoken without a thought, we are now stumbling through conversations like learning a new language. 

Family life is also taking its toll. Instead of the home being a safe haven, homes, just like our minds are becoming more cluttered, while we multitask through the mess and our interaction with each other competes with digital output from all devices. 

Health demands

Fully understanding what we eat, how we eat, and how the food we eat affects us, other communities, and our environment can be compared to doing a master’s degree in food. Healthy food, a healthy you, and a healthy environment all equate to the same thing. The difficult part is being able to make better choices for your health, wallet, environment, and time. The fresh, organic homemade lunch is better for you, your family, your community, and the environment, but it takes time and a deeper dig into your wallet. 

Sitting or standing at our desks for many hours each day, even if it is remote working overlooking the sea, it is still sitting or standing. Our bodies were meant to walk and move about. The importance of good health is becoming more widespread and a part of life. On any day of the week, at any time of the day, we can see people from all age groups at the gym. Gone are the days of the after-work gym rush hour and mornings with young mothers and pensioners. 

Maintaining physical health has become increasingly obvious, and talking about mental health is still too much of a taboo topic. When was the last time you talked about your athletic achievements, and when was the last time you spoke about how healthy your mind is; your awareness, capability to reflect, connect, and think positive, healthy thoughts? And how long can you think of nothing? The state of our minds seems too often only spoken about when it is already ill with burnout or depression. 

Our mind is the place where it all happens; where we make important decisions, process information, remember what we have learned, and where we create new thoughts, connections, and ideas.

“Our lives are like constantly eating from a one-pot stew made up of breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and drinks, with everything stirred in together and no space to come up for air.”

Higher demands create higher personal needs

Your life might also not be as clear-cut as it would have been for our parents or grandparents. But then each generation has its own challenges. Ours is (among other things) that we are in information overload. Which obviously makes us in process and performance overload. And all of this constant processing of information is entirely the job of our brain. We need to minimize our minds and create more balance for our brains.

How coaching can help

Coaching is born of therapy but is not therapy. This means that coaching is a form of conversation which helps us in all areas of our lives, the side effect being, it helps us to stay mentally healthy. Like brain jogging. But with coaching, there is obviously a coach involved. 

Therapy is usually needed when there is a problem that the person can no longer solve on their own. Coaching, on the other hand, has the assumption that the client or coachee is whole, and actually has their own special answer or solution, they just need some help to get there. Quite the same as the coach in the 1900s which transported us from A to B.

When you sign up at the gym, the instructor asks if you are physically fit or have any ailments, so does the coach explain what coaching is and assures if it is indeed coaching that is required.

The aim of coaching is actually to bring you to your best-desired destination. This is also reflected in the ICF (International Coaching Federation) definition of coaching.

The ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential, which is particularly important in today’s uncertain and complex environment. 

Coaches honor the client as the expert in his or her life and work, and believe every client is creative, resourceful and whole. 

Standing on this foundation, the coach's responsibility is to: 

• Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve. 

• Encourage client self-discovery.

• Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies.

• Hold the client responsible and accountable.

This process helps clients dramatically improve their outlook on work and life while improving their leadership skills and unlocking their potential. 

Try it out!