No one cares about work-life balance anymore..

No one cares about work-life balance anymore.

Work-life integration is where it's at.

If you choose to work ridiculous hours, push your health and wellbeing to the side, spend less time with friends and family, and lead yourself down a slippery slope to burnout, that's a choice you are actively making.

However, you no longer need to try and balance it all, and you definitely shouldn't be making that choice for other people in your relationships, organisation, or your team.

Let me tell you about the main reasons why I think you should consider leaning into work-life integration versus the outdated work-life balance.

Flexibility enhances productivity. Who knew?

Enabling your team members to design their workdays in a way that aligns with their personal preferences and priorities fosters a sense of autonomy, enhancing productivity as people can work during their most productive hours.

Think about how flexibility enhances your own productivity as a leader. This is the same for your team. Just because it hasn't always been done this way doesn't mean it can't change.

You can approach your wellbeing holistically.

Instead of compartmentalising the professional and personal aspects of your life, you can merge them together in a way that increases your happiness and fulfilment. Simply combining work tasks with personal responsibilities or incorporating your personal interests into your work routine.

Taking a 5-minute break to do breathing exercises at your desk or combining your team meeting with a walk outside to get your steps in. 

I always voice note my clients when I am out on a walk. There's something about the fresh air and walking that helps me riff on a whole new level. My clients, you're welcome.

The millennium bug has come and gone; technology supports this shift.

Can you even imagine trying to drag your home computer around and waiting for the buzzing of the Wi-Fi connection like back in the day? Now, you can be anywhere and still show up for the work you need to do and the meetings you need to attend.

This means that you can still be connected and engaged in work tasks while still attending to personal commitments. Ironically, I am writing this blog post as I am sitting at the hairdresser getting my hair done before heading to an early Christmas dinner.

Our priorities have changed.

As a society, our values have evolved. Individually, we have all reassessed our values and what our priorities are off the back of a difficult few years post-pandemic.

We are placing greater importance on our relationships, self-care, health, interests outside of work, and overall well-being. Being able to integrate your work and life allows you to allocate your time and energy to your priorities without feeling the need to constantly sacrifice one for the other.

Bonus points if your workplace is supporting you in integrating these.

That all sounds great, but how can you practically start integrating your work and life more seamlessly so you no longer have to try and balance it all?

Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries.

The best part about work-life integration is flexibility, but with flexibility, it is important that you establish boundaries to prevent burnout. Make sure you are clear on when work begins and ends, and communicate these boundaries to your colleagues and family.

We want to avoid the always-on mentality as you continuously switch between work and personal and just burn the candles at both ends.

Prioritise and do it well. 

Prioritising your tasks based on urgency and importance ensures that crucial work and personal responsibilities are being addressed without feeling overwhelmed. Use your own discernment on any given day to understand where your priorities may flex to achieve what you need to achieve. We're aiming for integration, and it isn't black or white.

Learn how to leverage technology.

If you work in a tech business, you know they have 1000 apps that you can use to support you in doing your best work. Leverage technology to your advantage. What can you use to communicate, schedule, or increase your productivity?

It will look different to everyone, but be conscious of your screen time and ensure that you are actively switching off when you can so there is a balance.

Don’t be so rigid with where you work. Office vs. Home vs. Remote. 

Embrace the fact that you can work anywhere. It doesn't have to be one or the other. Depending on how your workplace is set up, there may be a choice, or it may be fluid. Work with it for how it supports you to integrate your work and life. Did someone say remote working from Bali for a week?

Side note, this is obviously dependent on where you work and what will fly, but remember, being able to embrace work-life integration and the interconnection of your work and personal life will increase your satisfaction, improve your wellbeing, and move you away from relying on trying to "balance it all."

As CEOs of our own lives, business owners, executives, emerging leaders,, it is important to understand that the future of work is undoubtedly integrated. By recognizing this shift, we can create a more balanced and meaningful experience for ourselves and everyone around us.