The idea of achieving work-life balance is a beautiful dream; it's also quite impossible, as we should realise without bitterness or frustration. Balancing your professional and personal life can be challenging, but it's essential. Here's how to improve your work-life balance today. Often, work takes precedence over everything else in our lives. Our desire to succeed professionally can push us to set aside our own well-being. Creating a harmonious work-life balance or work-life integration is critical, though, to improve not only our physical, emotional and mental well-being, but it's also important for our career. What is work-life balance, and why is it important? In short, work-life balance is the state of equilibrium where a person equally prioritizes the demands of one's career and the demands of one's personal life. Some of the common reasons that lead to a poor work-life balance include: Increased responsibilities at work Working longer hours Increased responsibilities at home Having children A good work-life balance, said Chris Chancey, career expert and CEO of Amplio Recruiting, has numerous positive effects, including less stress, a lower risk of burnout and a greater sense of well-being. This not only benefits employees but employers, too. "Employers who are committed to providing environments that support work-life balance for their employees can save on costs, experience fewer cases of absenteeism, and enjoy a more loyal and productive workforce," said Chancey. Employers that offer optionsas telecommuting or flexible work schedules can help employees have a better work-life balance.

1. A FEW THOUGHTS ON
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
KARTHIK.K

5. Anxiety & depression Deprivation $ Cardiovascular disease
Stroke and heart disease

9. A legal document

10. An agreement on a transaction with expectations on both sides

13. GOALS, AMBITION, SUCCESS
Goals and ambition are
positive
• But you need to
ask yourself why:
Why do I pursue this
particular goal/ambition?
What does success mean
to me?
And what will it bring me?

16. You feel under pressure to work long hours
– Why is that?
– Remember the contract

17. What are your reasons?
Any of these?
• hard to say no
• perceived expectations
• thinking that you’re not
efficient enough
• everything seems urgent
• Perfectionism
• habit
Or others?
peer pressure
working against your rhythm
difficulty focusing
too many distractions
everything is a priority
feeling pressurised
daunting goals
few other interests
feeling overwhelmed

18. What are your reasons?
Any of these?
 hard to say no
 perceived expectations
 thinking that you’re not efficient enough
 everything seems urgent
 Perfectionism
 habit
Discuss your reasons with your neighbour
Or others?
 peer pressure
 working against your rhythm
 difficulty focusing
 too many distractions
 everything is a priority
 feeling pressurised
 daunting goals
 few other interests
 feeling overwhelmed

19. Life - physical entities, biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes

20. Various forms of life exist, such as plants, animals, fungi, protists, archaea, and bacteria.

25. Brain chemicals
Neurotransmitters affecting happiness
• Serotonin
• Dopamine
• Oxytoxin
Stress hormone:
• cortisol

27. HAPPINESS FROM WITHOUT
“Doing/achieving/eating will make you
happy”
Reward from external
sources: the dopamine hit
It works very briefly, not
long term
Can be compulsive-
Successor(a person who
succeeds another in an
office, position, or the like)

30. Everybody wants to be
respected
But the people who know
you and like you already
respect you

31. It’s an imposed model of success: social hierarchy

33. RESPECT
Careful, it’s a trap!

34. “Those who matter don’t mind and those who
mind don’t matter”

39. It’s your reaction to a situation that determines your state of
mind
Self-awareness, mindfulness
Calm and fulfillment: serotonin
Practicing kindness: oxytocin (social reward)

42. “de boog kan niet altijd gespannen staan”
“all work and no play makes jack a dull boy”
Constant work without rest or relaxation is harmful to
one's personal life and well-being.

44. Resilienceis our ability to bounce back from adversity.
It’s what allows us to recover from change or hardship, whether in
the workplace or in life

46. Working long hours is not productive

50. Adding value

51. Working all the time is
dangerous:
• loss in peace of mind.
• Risk of burnout
• Karōshi

54. ◦ Mental health • Working all the time is dangerous: – If you live for your work and your work goes badly, it is very hard to keep
your peace of mind. – Risk of burnout – Karōshi

57. Medium term (semester)
Short term (week)
E.g. ”7 habits of highly effective people”
PLANNING