Over the past couple of years, I’ve been hearing the term “work-life balance” more and more. It’s not a new term, it has been used since the 1970s. But I think its popularity is on an upswing.
Almost every time I hear the term, it’s in a sentence when someone says: “Work-life balance is important to me,” or “I believe in work-life balance.” This is often said when people are explaining why they aren’t picking up extra tasks at work or why they have stepped down from volunteer positions. All fair and valid points.
We all know someone who answers work emails on the weekend or in the evening, and we also know someone who will refuse to reply to any email sent past 4:30 p.m. One is not better than the other, just different.
I fall into the category of a person who answers work email after hours. I don’t ever want to hold things up and I find no one complains when they receive a prompt response. I do often find myself being criticized by people who strive for the coveted work-life balance. I am told I need to find this balance that everyone speaks of, even though I personally don’t feel that my life is out of balance.
I have to laugh as I write this column on a work night and it’s nearing midnight. A prime example of not attaining this concept, which I consider a mirage.
As I Googled work-life balance writing this column, I found a CNN interview with Martha Stewart, who shared that attempting to seek a work-life balance didn’t work for her. She explained how she sacrificed a marriage because of the “lure of a great job.” She called the balance elusive and even went as far as saying it’s impossible for most of us to ever find.
This made me feel validated and I have to side with Stewart on this. I sacrifice free time to accept opportunities and experiences that can help me advance in life.
The important thing to note is that is what works for me and helps me feel fulfilled. I enjoy my work, my side hustles and my volunteer roles. I think to myself if I stepped back from some of these duties I would probably be at home watching Netflix, which could be enjoyable, but it wouldn’t be fulfilling.
I don’t like being told how to prioritize my time, I don’t think any of us do. I think we need to understand and acknowledge that it is up to each of us independently to determine what that balance is and where the division is. We can’t judge other people for how they choose to spend their time, whether they are working around the clock or if they prioritize something other than working.
I have experienced first-hand the impact of taking on side projects to gain experience that can lead to new opportunities. I know that if I want new opportunities to present themselves to me that I need to put the time in.
Some of the most significant opportunities I have been presented with only found their way to me through my various volunteer roles. I am a single mom, and when I am volunteering at events or sitting on volunteer boards, my daughter is almost always tagging along with me. As a parent, I want my daughter to learn to roll up her sleeves and pitch in, I want her to learn to be devoted to her community and I want to be a role model for her, demonstrating commitment and work ethic.
There is no denying that people with privilege are more likely to be presented with opportunities than people without. The more strikes someone has against them, the harder they need to work for the opportunities and the harder they need to work to be recognized. There could be many people who are working several side hustles just to get some exposure that could lead to better opportunities. For people in the situation, they might be working around the clock with a dream of one day having a work-life balance that privileged people have an option of taking or not.
I think instead of slamming someone for not having a work-life balance, maybe the question could be to ask the individual what their goals are and see of there’s any way you could assist.
Charla Huber is the director of communications and Indigenous relations for M’akola Housing Society and M’akola Development Services.
