How do you balance work and home life?
Balance between work and home life is essential for harmony and well-being. When opposing forces coexist without proper management, it leads to stagnation or imbalance, causing stress and mental health issues. Understanding these forces, whether seen or unseen, reveals their impact on our lives, akin to how divers and astronauts adapt to pressure. In modern times, the nuclear family structure complicates this balance, as increased work demands clash with family responsibilities. The rise of remote work offers flexibility, but it can also lead to isolation if boundaries aren’t set. Prioritizing activities that refresh the mind and body is crucial for maintaining this equilibrium.
Balance is key to life. It brings harmony and a symphony of deeds, emotions and spiritual uplifting to keep oneself calm and composed.
Balance is required when two opposite and equal forces work together, but in different directions. It is a common observation that when two opposite and equal forces act in opposite directions, nothing happens. There is no work and no energy consumption. It brings stillness and inertia.
To have a balance between the two forces, a little bit of patience, proper calibration and minor adjustments are needed. While working in tandem, a coordinated effort is needed.
To achieve it, the strength and nature of forces need to be understood. Some forces are unseen but powerful enough to make work difficult if not handled properly. A careful study of different forces is necessary to have a balance.
It is well known that opposite poles attract, and the same poles repel each other. A little deep cogitation reveals that the lines of force of the same poles behave similarly. It causes the generation of repulsive forces. On the contrary, when different poles are brought together, they attract. This simple theory explains a lot of things in our daily lives, both at home and at the workplace.
Yet another experiment can elaborate on the point a little more. A little water contained in a tin can, like that of a sealed vegetable Ghee, is boiled for a few minutes and then left to cool after sealing it properly. After some time, when the tin can is cooled, it crumbles and becomes deformed. The experiment shows the power of air pressure and its effect.
In normal conditions, the atmospheric pressure is unnoticeable to us because of its uniformity. The pressure is exerted everywhere at the same quantity, causing the force to be nullified (at least, it seems so) and imperceptible. In the experiment above, the boiling water produced water vapour, replacing the contained air. When cooled, the vapour condensed to water, creating a vacuum. The outer atmospheric pressure was more than the pressure inside, which caused the can to crumble. The inside vacuum and the outer pressure created an imbalance that crushed the can from the outside. This shows the power of the force, which, when not balanced, can cause havoc.
It applies to our lives also. In nature, the two types of forces counterbalance each other, making the organisms look like what they are. In primitive organisms living in water, like Amoeba, it is achieved by the liquid pressure inside and outside the body. In advanced aquatic mammals like Whales, it is compensated by their elastic cartilaginous skeleton and special arrangements in their joints to sustain the tremendous water pressure at deeper depths. The organism’s activities revolve around these forces, and its body structure is adapted suitably.
Pressures discussed above are invisible but are pivotal in the functioning of an organism. The body’s adaptation is unnoticed but vital for sustenance.
Human beings have understood it properly; hence, they design their suits suitably. A diver’s suit takes care of pressure variation in the ocean. It internally controls outer pressure to counterbalance each other. Thus, the outer pressure does not affect the diver’s body. Similarly, an astronaut or cosmonaut wears a special space suit to keep pressure and other vital functions normal, necessary for survival. This is what we know as an adaptation for a special purpose to carry out a task effectively without harming oneself.
On the work and home front, similar equal but opposite forces act together. If not managed properly, any one of them increases, causing a lopsided balance and shattering of life. As a minor defect in a diver’s suit or an astronaut’s suit can be disastrous, the imbalance between work and home can shatter life.
This balance is lacking in the fast-changing world. People are seen running around helter-skelter. They struggle to have a balanced, peaceful life. The increasing demand, loosening filial bonds, nuclear families and dearth of time have caused extensive crushing external pressure on individuals. They are fast losing control of themselves. An increasing number of deteriorating mental health conditions testifies to it.
From ancient times till the dawn of modern living, the family system was strong and supportive. It used to distribute pressure evenly and caused differential effects on members of various age groups. The collective power acted as a cushion against adverse forces and helped them to come out unharmed or with minimal harm.
As the saying goes, everything has two aspects. The light brings shadows. It is simple because if there is positivity, negativity is bound to be there to finish a circuit. The joint family system has its own merits and demerits. A detailed discussion of the family system’s merits and demerits is outside the scope of this discourse. Nonetheless, suffice it to say that the changing scenario ends up in complications, thus giving way to the nuclear family concept.
The division of labour had been the crux of a family. Though the division was not watertight, there was a great deal of compartmentalisation. In general, women took care of household chores while men were mainly responsible for working outside and earning money. Women were unconcerned about the source of money; the men, on the other hand, were oblivious to household activities.
In Nuclear families, this division has waned considerably and been obscured. There is no concept of superior or inferior in a family. Every member is equal. Women have come out of the boundaries of the house. They are holding responsible and challenging positions shoulder to shoulder with their men counterparts. Women are no longer inferior. They are showing their mettle in every field, from the tough military field to being a scientist. With working couples, rearing children is becoming more tiresome and complicated. Here too, women take the lead, and they bear the responsibility of rearing children, walking on a tight rope. Nevertheless, it becomes rigorous and affects the impressionable minds of children.
The work front has also grown to become complex and challenging. It requires more and more time, dedication and commitment. As a result, the commitments of the individual have been vivisected. Catering to one is bound to ignore the other. Increasing work pressure, cutthroat competition and growing parochial motives have given rise to increased selfish attitudes, which hamper the quality of work.
A new concept was the talk of the town during the Corona period. It is the concept of “Work from Home”. The increased use of computer technology and its ease of use, compounded with efficiency, allowed this concept to proliferate quickly. People were happy as they could dispose of their official work sitting in the cosy comfort of their homes without taking pains to go to the office compulsorily. It gave them the leverage of being at home and enjoying their work. This would give them fair time to stay at home with family members.
The advocates of this concept are unanimous on not going to the office, which considerably reduces traffic pressure and restricts vehicular transportation. The added advantage to employers is to cut the cost of maintaining offices and stationery, which includes a considerable electricity bill.
As has been discussed above, everything has a flip side, also. So is working from home, too, which has some drawbacks. The important thing is that one is in the office every time. It keeps involved. The effect is that, despite being at home, people are not emotionally connected with their family.
It also does not give a chance to interact with other colleagues. It results in a feeling of isolation that creeps in, giving rise to yet another psychological problem affecting the person. Stretched screen time strains the body, mind and eyes. The physical problems aggravate with time and start giving physical inconveniences.
To keep a balance, it is thus necessary to find the grey areas. One needs to focus on the positive aspects and work to overcome negativity. To achieve it, a few steps can help improve the imbalance. They are:
- Boundaries need to be clear – Work hours should be fixed and adhered to. There must not be an overlap of the two until exigency requires so.
- Virtual connections – They need to be strengthened. Regular chat, consultation and interaction with colleagues should be ensured. It helps in establishing a bond and breaks monotony.
- Prolonged and continuous work on computers can be strenuous, negatively impacting both mental and physical health. Attending periodic health camps can help, as they include activities that boost mental health and refresh both body and soul.
- Break is a must – Periodic outings, visiting new places, exploring things and doing things that give relaxation should be followed. A company of good books not only refreshes the mind but rejuvenates the body as well.
As has been mentioned above, balance has to be maintained. Work is an absolute necessity. Without work, life is difficult to imagine. Posing oneself as a workaholic sounds rosy and satiates self-ego, but has its side effects. A sound mind and good health are necessary for long, fulfilling work hours. One has to have a segment of time exclusively for oneself. Light exercise, listening to good music, doing craft work, simple doodling, or even sipping tea or coffee sitting amidst the plant world have tremendous positive effects.
The body is a house for the soul. It has to be kept tidy and healthy, for it is the place which remains throughout life.
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