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 important
Balance is key to life. It brings harmony and a symphony of deeds, emotions and spiritual uplifting to keep oneself calm and composed. It is essential that when two equal forces work in opposite directions. Two acting equal opposite forces yield no result despite the dissipation of energy. The work done is nullified. It brings nothing but stillness and inertia.
Calibration and adjustments
A little bit of patience, proper calibration and minor adjustments can give the balance between two forces. Working in tandem gives desired positive results. The strength and nature of forces are necessary to understand how to achieve it. Identification and proper handling of unseen but powerful negative forces are important. These negative forces can jeopardise and make work difficult. Thus, a careful study of different forces is necessary to have a balance.
Same poles repulse
Opposite poles of a magnet 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, different poles attract. This simple phenomenon explains a lot of things in our daily lives, both at home and at the workplace.
Outer and inner pressure
Yet another experiment can elaborate on the point a little more. A little water is boiled in a tin can for a few minutes. After a few minutes, seal the can and let it cool. The cooling can crumble and become disfigured. It shows the power of air pressure and its effect. The boiling water made steam and replaced the air of the can. Cooling can cause vapour to condense into water, creating a vacuum in the can. The high outside atmospheric pressure compared to the internal pressure caused deformation of the can.
Imbalance
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 cited above, the difference in inner and outer pressure created an imbalance. Bigger outer pressure crushed the can from the outside. This shows the power of the force, which, when not balanced, can cause havoc.
Counterbalance of forces
The balance is seen in life forms. In nature, the forces counterbalance each other, making things and organisms look as they appear. The aquatic rudimentary organisms, 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.
Balance and organisms
The pressures discussed above are invisible but pivotal in the life of an organism. Organisms adapt in response to various forces to maintain a balance that enables normal body function. It is also unnoticed but vital for sustenance.
Special purpose adaptation
Human beings have understood it properly; hence, they design their special purpose 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.
Humans learned to survive
Humans have learned ways to adjust to the atmosphere by adopting artificial means in addition to the means provided by Nature. It is why humans can survive in any atmosphere, from frigid to extremely hot conditions, and from excessive rains to bone-dry desert.
Balance in daily life
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 or an astronaut’s suit can be disastrous, the imbalance between work and home can shatter life.
Struggle
The balance is either shaken or disturbed in the fast-changing world. People are seen helter-skelter, struggling to balance an amicable and peaceful life. The increasing demand, loosening filial bonds, nuclear families and a dearth of time are causing pressure on individuals. They are losing control of themselves. An increasing number of deteriorating mental health conditions testifies to it.
Family: A strong support system
From ancient times to 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.
Nuclear family
Unlike a Joint Family, a Nuclear Family is the smallest unit fragmented out from a large Joint Family. A nuclear Family has parents and their children. Cousins, uncles aunts and Grandparents are not part of it. Everything has two aspects. The light brings shadows and negativity to positivity. The juxtaposing forces balance each other. At times they require some change to accommodate and balance each other. 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.
Division of labour
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.
Obscured division of labour
The cushion is absent in a nuclear family, where in most cases, both spouses work. The economic parity between the couple and the inflated ego of both partners catalysed the waning of the cushion. Hegemony and subordination have given way to mutualism and cooperative support.
Empowered women
Social landscape has changed. Women are Independent. Coming out of the boundaries of the house, they are significantly contributing their share to society, holding responsible and challenging positions shoulder to shoulder with men. They are showing their mettle in every field, from the tough military field to being a scientist.
Rearing of children
With growing 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.
Changed work front
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. (The Economic Times)
Work from home
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 need of the hour
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.
In the wake of recent war between Iran and the USA and embargo on Hormuz straight has strained the world economy. It is seriously impacting energy supply causing countries like India a great economic pressure. To save energy and country’s economy, PM Sri Narendra Modi urged people of India to save oil by different means and work from home.
Flip side
As discussed above, everything has a flip side. So is working from home, too, which has some drawbacks. The important thing is that one is in the office every time. It keeps being involved. The effect is that, despite being at home, people are not emotionally connected with their families.
Psychological issues
It also does not provide an opportunity to interact with other colleagues. It results in a creeping sense of isolation, giving rise to yet another psychological problem affecting the person. Stretched screen time strains the body, mind and eyes. The physical problems aggravate and cause physical inconveniences.
Grey areas
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:
- Clear Boundaries – 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.
Work-life balance
Thus, balance is necessarily 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.
Some other interesting reads:
-END-
Leave a Reply