It is true that most people seem to struggle to strike a balance between work and life these days. While reasons for this are numerous, I will be focusing on the two primary ones as well as offering some solutions to address the problem of work and life balance in our society.
The main reason has arguably to do with the changing nature of our world. Our society appears to encourage the idea that we have to earn a lot and spend as much. This very notion has caused many people to work long hours and neglect other aspects of their lives as a result. The situation is compounded by the fact that today’s living standards are becoming increasingly demanding, and many people find it difficult to measure up to these standards with a minimal amount of work. Thus, when faced with a decision between working overtime or sending time with family, their choice is clear. One obvious suggestion would be downgrading. If people settle for a simpler life with fewer elements of extravagancy, they are sure to enjoy a happier life.
The second but equally significant reason is poor time management. It is fair to suggest that most people tend not to follow a set plan on how they would like to spend their day at work, so they end up either wasting or ineffectively managing a valuable portion of their working day. This, in turn, does not allow them to set aside time for other important personal matters such as relationships, hobbies and recreation, personal fitness and so on. Organizing time effectively does not have to be challenging if one is taught how to do it from a young age. In this regard, the school curriculum should extend to include classes on time management for children so that once they enter the world of work, they will not encounter the same challenges their forerunners did. Similarly, seminars can be offered for adults in the workplace to improve the general quality of their lives through better coordination skills.
In conclusion, while changes in our society and poor time management underlie the work and life balance problem, solutions include downgrading to a simpler life and getting people to learn how to manage time.