Is there any spookier than a lack of work-life balance? Yes! Ghosts. And also Werewolves. But work-life balance is definitely number 3. With Halloween upon us, we wanted to see how our supernatural friends balance their work with everyday life.
Elizabeth Pich of War and Peas made this extra spooky comic for us.
In recent years, the concept of ‘work-life’ balance has lost some of its luster, with a growing number of journalists and business leaders panning the idea and instead advocating for ’work-life harmony’ or ‘work-life blend.’ The balancing act has been dispelled as a dangerous myth, destined to give us unrealistic expectations of what our lives could or should look like.
Is this magical state really just an impractical fantasy or could it still offer a possible path to a happier life? Is bothering to strive for it even worth it?
The answer to those questions comes down to what you think balance actually means. Critics have noted that dividing life and work up into two separate, distinct areas has the potential to create tension, as your work is a part of your life. There’s no real way to fully compartmentalize the two. And while this is true, writing off the idea of balance seems just as ill-considered.
If you see balance as an hourly break down of a day’s activities into two separate groups, dividing time neatly between one or the other and hoping to come out with a 50/50 split, then writing off balance as a myth is inevitable. Neither life nor work operates in such neat fashion. As Ephrat Livni notes, over time “there is something resembling a balance. But in the short term, less so.” But, if you approach balance from a holistic perspective, with a less strict adherence to a timetable, a balance of sorts seems possible.
There are days or months that you’ll likely need to work longer hours. Others, not so much. What it really comes down to is how you feel. Do you feel unhappy as a result of your long hours? Or do you feel energized? Is your absence making the people around you unhappy? Are you missing out on important things? Once you know the answer to those, you can start and keep adjusting. What is right for one point in your life might not be for another.
Call it balance, call it harmony, call it anything you like as long as you’re practicing it.
I’ve got this whole Work-Life thing figured out! Do you have any more comics?
Good for you and you bet we do! In addition to putting out a new comic out every week, we’ve got some great comics in the catalog:
If you work for any type of agency, you’ve probably had your fair share of these types of clients. We’ve also done a comic guessing what the world would be like if it were created by a programmer. Or another epic piece about how to save the princess using different programming languages.
Keep your eyes peeled or like us on Facebook if you want these comics delivered directly to you! We also post on LinkedIn if you’re going to pretend you’re doing work.
If you have any fresh ideas that we could put into a comic, do let us know in the comments below and we promise to add you as an easter egg when it comes out.
Until then – keep on trackin’!
Emma Murray makes content and content and even more content. She believes everyone has a few good words in them. She also does photojournalism here: https://www.emmakathleenmurray.com/
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