• Work plays an important role in the lives of most
people. Work, whether paid or unpaid, also helps us to
shape our identity, gives a purpose to our existence,
allows us – or forces us – to structure our time, gives us
a useful way to spend our days, contributes to our
social status, and finally, brings us into contact with
others.
• Work-Life Balance does not mean an equal balance.
Work-life balance is the ability to experience a sense of
control and to stay productive and competitive at work
while maintaining a happy, healthy home life with
sufficient leisure.

• Work–life balance is the term used to
describe the balance that an individual needs
between time allocated for work and other
aspects of life. Areas of life other than work-
life can be, but not limited to personal
interests, family and social or leisure activities.

Components of Work-Life Balance
• Self-Management
• Time Management
• Stress Management
• Change Management
• Technology Management
• Leisure Management

Components of Work-Life Balance
• SELF MANAGEMENT: The time we have at hand is limited, from each hour of the
day to our one life on Earth. So, properly managing ourselves, our goals, our life
becomes vital for a sense of achievement, happiness and fulfillment. We need to
take care that we get the proper sleep, exercise, nutrients and mental
development that our body and activities requires.
• TIME MANAGEMENT: Being either self-management or managing other life areas,
time management for a good work life balance means to know what are your
priorities and what can you fit, or not, in your daily schedule. There’s a very good
tool to help you be crystal clear on your goals and how to approach urgent and
important tasks.
• STRESS MANAGEMENT: Most of us face a lot of stress at work and in our daily
lives as problems and tasks requiring our attention increase all the time. It
becomes a challenge to adapt and to manage yourself when dealing with pressure
coming from all directions and a constantly rapid changing environment. Although
a lot of theories circulate related to multi-tasking, for a balanced life the best
approach would be to deal with one thing at a time and avoid multi-tasking.

Components of Work-Life Balance
• CHANGE MANAGEMENT: There is a phrase I get to hear more and more often, that change is
the only constant in the world. Still, human beings are not so happy to change things, as
staying in a comfort and familiar zone feels safer. That’s why living in this fast changing
environment, where new methods and technology come along all the time, change
management place such an important role in keeping balance. You need to take change
gradually, adjusting with new things one by one. Not too fast, as you might revert back when
you feel it’s all just too much and overwhelming.
• TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT: Learn to work with technology and make it serve you before
you allow it to abuse you. There are two extremes to this, one becoming more and more
frequent as time advances. A decreasing category of people are still reticent in using new
technology, and in this case they either don’t benefit of what it can offer, or lose a lot by not
using it (such as a job that requires technical qualifications now compared to 10 years back).
On the other hand, with the expanding use of smartphones and tablets,
• LEISURE MANAGEMENT:A lot of people understand by work life balance a clear division
between work time and leisure time. Still, there are many aspects to account when it comes
to living a balanced life. Indeed one of the most important aspects is having time off. Rest,
relaxation, doing the activities you love, putting time into developing and practicing your
passions – they all play a crucial role in having a lifestyle that is balances and makes you
happy.

IMPORTANT OF WLB
• Fewer health problems: When we are stressed and over-worked, we run the risk
of jeopardizing more than just our social lives – our physical and mental health is
in danger too. It’s no secret that when we are overworked, tired or stressed – our
health will suffer. A poor work-life balance can lead to a variety of symptoms which
can affect our wellbeing. This ranges from the flu to serious health conditions like
strokes and respiratory problems.
• More engagement: By helping your people to find the perfect balance between
work and home, you will increase their engagement levels. This has many positive
effects: According to Tower Perrin’s 2006 global survey; “Companies with highly-
engaged employees had a near 52% gap in performance improvement in operating
income.”
• More mindfulness
• When we find, and sustain a healthy work-life balance, we develop a greater
control over our focus and ability to concentrate on the task at hand – this is
known as mindfulness. Wouldn’t you prefer a team that is fully focused on
whatever they are doing, instead of worrying about work/home?

IMPORTANT OF WLB(CONT…)
• Less “burnouts”: We all get stressed from
time to time. It is unavoidable. However,
workplace burnouts are avoidable, and you
should make efforts to ensure this doesn’t
happen to your people. Burnouts occur when
we feel overwhelmed and unable to meet
constant demands. The negative effects of a
burnout can affect every aspect of our lives.

STRESS
• Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of
demand or threat. When you sense danger—whether
it’s real or imagined—the body's defenses kick into
high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the
“fight-or-flight” reaction or the "stress response."
• The stress response is the body’s way of protecting
you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused,
energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress
can save your life—giving you extra strength to defend
yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the
brakes to avoid an accident.

CAUSES OF STRESS
 External causes of stress
• Major life changes
• Work
• Relationship difficulties
• Financial problems
• Being too busy
• Children and family
 Internal causes of stress (self-generated)
• Inability to accept uncertainty
• Doubt
• Negative self-talk
• Unrealistic expectations
• Perfectionism
• Lack of assertiveness

OVERCOMING STRESS
• Get moving. Upping your activity level is something you can do right now to help relieve
stress and start to feel better. Regular exercise can lift your mood and serve as a distraction
from worries, allowing you to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed stress.
Rhythmic exercises such as walking, running, swimming, and dancing are particularly
effective, especially if you exercise mindfully (focusing your attention on the physical
sensations you experience as you move).
• Connect to others. The simple act of talking face-to-face with another human can trigger
hormones that relieve stress when you're feeling agitated or insecure. Even just a brief
exchange of kind words or a friendly look from another human being can help calm and
soothe your nervous system. So, spend time with people who make you feel good and don’t
let your responsibilities keep you from having a social life. If you don’t have any close
relationships, or your relationships are the source of your stress, make it a priority to build
stronger and more satisfying connections.
• Engage your senses. Another fast way to relieve stress is by engaging one or more of your
senses—sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, or movement. The key is to find the sensory input
that works for you. Does listening to an uplifting song make you feel calm? Or smelling
ground coffee? Or maybe petting an animal works quickly to make you feel centered?
Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so experiment to find what works best
for you.

OVERCOMING STRESS
• Learn to relax. You can’t completely eliminate stress from your life, but you
can control how much it affects you. Relaxation techniques such as yoga,
meditation, and deep breathing activate the body’s relaxation response, a
state of restfulness that is the polar opposite of the stress response. When
practiced regularly, these activities can reduce your everyday stress levels and
boost feelings of joy and serenity. They also increase your ability to stay calm
and collected under pressure.
• Eat a healthy diet. The food you eat can improve or worsen your mood and
affect your ability to cope with life’s stressors. Eating a diet full of processed
and convenience food, refined carbohydrates, and sugary snacks can worsen
symptoms of stress while eating a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, high-
quality protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, can help you better cope with life’s
ups and downs.
• Get your rest. Feeling tired can increase stress by causing you to think
irrationally. At the same time, chronic stress can disrupt your sleep. Whether
you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, there are plenty
of ways to improve your sleep so you feel less stressed and more productive
and emotionally balanced.