WORK-LIFE IMBALANCE

Work-life balance is a person’s control over the conditions in their workplace. It is accomplished when an individual feels dually satisfied about their personal life and their paid occupation. It mutually benefits the individual, business and society when a person’s personal life is balanced with his or her own job.
And when the situation get reversed, i.e one has no control on his/her life, driven by other forces, get workaholic etc, then one’s life get imbalanced, affecting personal and social life as well as working capacity, what is termed as work-life imbalance.
Imbalance in life and work may occur due to many reasons. It’s not always the employer who makes the life of employee, a hell.
REASONS:
1. The main culprit for the growing gap between work and life is globalization and the "productivity" pressures it's causing that are undermining progressive policies and a focus on equity in the workplace. The meaning of efficiency in present global-economic climate is that involve fewer people doing more work as well as myths and assumptions that characterize 'ideal' workers as those who can work as though they have few or no outside responsibilities outside of paid work.

2. Connectivity technology—e-mails, cell phones, PDA’s and other gadgets— make it easier than ever to keep in touch with goings-on in the office, allowing today’s workforce to save time and be more accessible. However, experts say they have the potential to do more harm than good. These lovely things really make our life hell. These let us attached to our paid work 24x7.

3. Ambitions and Prestige- are the reasons that are created from the employee side itself. It makes an employee workaholic and cut him from the rest of the world. One thinks that he/ she can balance or manage his/ her life after achieving dreams and ambitions but is should not be forgotten that ‘making life balance’ is a slow and continuous process.

4. Money is honey-Last but not the least, employee get paid extra for the extra effort as well as employer get more profits because of extra efforts and sincerity.

7 WAYS TO FIND WORK LIFE BALANCE:

1. ONE LIFE ONE DAY BOOK: Keeping separate calendars can easily lead to conflicts between work tasks and home-life commitments. By scheduling everything in the same place, you're less likely to get confused between your cell calls and sweet song of your daughter or beloved.
2. CAN’T SPARE A WEEK? TAKE AN HOUR: You don't always need an extended vacation to unwind. Instead, set aside an hour each day to enjoy something completely unrelated to work -- a short walk, a workout, or a chapter or two in a book. Quality, not quantity.
3. AUDIT YOUR WEEKLY SCHEDULE: Keep a log of everything you do during the week, from meetings to commuting to watching TV. With a sense of how the scales tip to one side or the other, you'll be better able to re-balance them.
4. PLAN AND PROTECT DOWNTIME: Don't take leisure time for granted. A day in front of the TV is no substitute for a round of golf, a trip to the beach, or a BBQ with friends.
5. KNOW YOUR OPTION: More than ever, new technology is offering employers and employees alike greater flexibility with work schedules. This includes everything from a compressed workweek, to flex hours, job-sharing, and telecommuting.
6. GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT: Take the time to decide what's important for you. Then, try devoting your full attention to one thing at a time -- concentrate on work at work and family at home.
7. STOP BEING BOSS EVERYWERE: Entrepreneurs tend to be control freaks. That can be good for business, but bad for downtime. Whether it's paying the bills or organizing a trip, why not let family and friends run the business of your life every now and then?


CONCLUSION:
Seals don't balance balls on their noses for fun; they do it for fish. People don't try to achieve work/life balance for fun; they do it to survive. This means that balancing life with our paid work is not a fun or makes our life easier but it creates a path for us on whom we can schedule our whole responsibilities, likes, dislikes, hobbies etc on the same way. In fact balancing a life with work is itself a tough job.