Work Life Balance – what does it mean to you?

The absolute first thing you must do is determine, identify, clarify what work-life balance means to you.

Having work-life balance refers to the equilibrium between your professional and personal life and whether you’re able to effectively manage both aspects without one negatively impacting the other.

Work life balance means different things for different people.  Someone’s idea of balance might be the definition of chaos or nightmare for someone else.

Each person’s balance varies and is dependent on your priorities, needs, and values.

It involves finding ways to allocate time and energy to work-related activities, family and social responsibilities, and personal interests, hobbies, and self-care.

The ultimate goal of work-life balance is to create a sense of harmony and fulfilment in all areas of your life however that looks for you.

If you don’t already know what this looks like for you, start with a blank sheet of paper (or document) and list all the things you’d like to be able to do in your life.   I’m not talking about Bucket List things, I’m talking about the little things – like, having quality time with your family in the mornings, evenings, weekends … or spending some or all of the school holidays with your kids … or living closer to where you work so you don’t spend so much time commuting … or being able to go to the gym before or after work or in your lunchtime.

If you don’t know what you want you won’t know when you get it … neither will you know which path will get you there.

Introversion vs Extroversion

“Introversion” and “extroversion” are two of the most widely used personality traits to describe differences in people’s energy, focus, and social tendencies. Here are some key ways to differentiate between introverts and extroverts.

A lot of people think that introversion and extroversion is the difference between being shy or not.   Between being able to walk up to a stranger and say hi… or to have the ability to speak in public.

It’s neither of those because both introverts and extroverts can relate to either of those scenarios.

It’s all about how we each recharge ourselves and maintain our focus.

The suffix “vert” in “introversion” and “extroversion” comes from the Latin word “vertere,” which means “to turn.”

In this context, it refers to the direction in which a person’s energy is turned or directed – inward or outward.

Let’s look at some examples.

Introverts:

• Tend to feel energised by spending time alone or in quieter, low-stimulation environments
• May prefer to work independently and enjoy more introspective activities, such as reading, writing, or reflection
• May feel drained by too much social interaction or stimulation, and may need time to recharge after being around others
• Tend to be more reserved, thoughtful, and reflective in their communication style

Extroverts:

• Tend to feel energised by spending time with other people and in more stimulating, high-energy environments
• May prefer to work in collaborative settings and enjoy more action-oriented activities, such as talking, brainstorming, or problem-solving
• May feel bored or restless when alone for long periods of time, and may seek out social interactions to recharge their energy
• Tend to be more outgoing, expressive, and talkative in their communication style

It’s really important to note that introversion and extroversion – like most personality traits – exist on a continuum.  It’s rare that someone is 100% “one thing” or 100% the “other thing”.

Therefore, it’s perfectly normal to exhibit traits of both. When you understand where you fall on this spectrum, can be helpful in identifying how to best manage your energy and recharge your batteries.

Ambiversion

Of course, you may identify as an ambivert – a bit like me.

Ambiverts fall somewhere in between being an introvert and an extrovert depending on where we are and what’s going on at the time.

For me, it depends on each situation, rather than my mood, however, for others it may be more mood-related.

Regardless, when we’re in an extroversion mood, or situation, it’ll be hard for others to think we’re introverts and when they discover we like our own space and time, those who’ve seen us wearing our extrovert hat, struggle to see how we can possibly be an introvert.

We can enjoy socialising and being around people, but also need time alone to recharge our batteries.

However, personally, as an ambivert, I probably tend more towards introversion – it doesn’t take me much to get peopled out, and if I had a choice, I’d prefer to spend quiet solo time rather than high-energy socialising.

Now that we’ve got context for introversion and extroversion, let’s look at how you can take steps to get some of that mystical work life balance happening in your life

We’ll look at what you can do as an introvert or extrovert and then some of the personal challenges that personality type may come up against, and then how to overcome that.

7 Strategies – Work Life Balance

1. Prioritise your tasks
2. Set boundaries
3. Learn to say no
4. Take breaks
5. Practice time management – remember the Pomodoro technique
6. Find ways and create opportunities to disconnect
7. Say yes to what’s important

Listen to the podcast to discover ways to overcome the challenges introverts and extroverts might encounter + solutions for each personality type.