Work/Life Balance: From 20th Century Norms to Digital Age Challenges

When we start thinking of work/life balance, we can express it as the division of our time and focus between our working activities and the things we do in our personal life. Maintaining a separation between these two worlds is crucial – not just important, but crucial – for our mental health, productivity, and overall satisfaction with life. Achieving a balance between all the demands we face, particularly in the context of increasing work demands and technological advancements, can be a real challenge.

Historical Context: Work/Life Balance Throughout the 20^th Century

Throughout the 20^th century, work and personal life were more distinct, with a fixed schedule for office hours, and scheduled time for non-office workers (restaurants and businesses that operated outside of the “9-to-5 weekday” schedule). Employees typically didn’t have contact with employers outside of the workday, with few exceptions for emergencies and special circumstances and occasions. Technology was in its infancy for much of the century. Computers were limited to office use until late in the century, and Internet access was rare and expensive. Smartphones and mobile computing devices were objects for the future. The work was kept on paper files in the office, and most office workers left the work there when they went home at the end of the day.

Of course, there were exceptions to this norm. Higher-level executives often brought briefcases filled with reports home to review. Also, industrialists and business magnates like the Vanderbilts, the Gettys, and the Carnegies often blended their work and personal life, due to the nature of their roles and responsibilities. But for the most part, societal norms and expectations during that era were that you worked, then you went home to your family or friends.

Digital Technology and the Blurring of Work/Personal Life Lines

In the closing years of the 20^th century, the widespread adoption of personal computers in homes and offices made work more accessible outside traditional office environments. Laptop computers and personal computers at home meant that workers could perform some office duties away from the office –and after normal working hours. The rise of the Internet provided instant connectivity and access to work-related resources from anywhere, and at any time. As email and instant messaging became more commonplace, colleagues and employers could interact with employees regardless of the time of day or distance from the office.

These technological advances, while enabling businesses to operate on a broader scope and scale, also led to increased expectations for availability and responsiveness. Some managers expected immediate answers to emails, even late at night. This has fueled a culture of longer “working hours.” The accessibility beyond the office boundaries has also contributed to that culture. Since everyone has access to this wonderful technology, it has also allowed ambition to contribute to highly competitive work environments, with longer working hours as the norm.

The blurring of the boundary lines between life-at-work and life-not-at-work hit a point that led to an awareness of the imbalance, and an awareness of the need for a better balance between work and “life.” Some of the drivers for this rise in awareness were concerns over employee burnout, stress, and mental health issues, as well as physical health implications. Some organizations went into remediation mode and started initiatives with new policies and practices aimed at addressing these challenges. But has it been enough? Not everyone thinks so; if it had, we wouldn’t have the phenomenon of Quiet Quitting.

Rethinking Work/Life Balance in the Modern Era

Remote work became a pervasive concept during the Covid-19 panic, but it wasn’t the start of it. Working from home, or teleworking, became possible with the advance of Virtual Private Networking technology, enabling the employee to connect to the work environment from outside of the office. Further advances have created opportunities to work not just from home, but from – well, anywhere. I’ve been able to perform my normal work responsibilities from my home, but also from a hotel room,  a lakeside cabin, and my car traveling down the Interstate. Changes in the connectivity options allow for a more fluid and individual approach to balancing work and a personal life. Working from home gave me back my two hours of commute time, and it also provides me the option of dashing to the post office in the middle of the day to pick up a package, and managing laundry tasks during my lunch break. Being able to connect on the road, at a cabin, or at a hotel meant that my family didn’t have to delay travel start or return home early due to my work schedule. It has given us more flexibility in the “life” part of our “work/life balance.”

In thinking about that phrase, though, “work/life balance,” it’s too easy to envision a set of scales, putting work on one side and life on the other, and keeping the levels equal. That doesn’t always happen, and it doesn’t always have to. There will be times when a project at work must have a greater weight on the scale than your personal life, and there are times when conditions at home need a greater weight. We can distribute our effort and attention based on the weighted priorities of our personal and professional needs.

Managers won’t always know what’s going on in your not-work life, so you may need to present not only the situation, but also propose a solution. For example, if there’s a challenge in your home life that is demanding more of your attention and creative brain cycles, you can ask to be assigned to a set of less-challenging tasks at work for the duration of the home crisis. If you’re working on a huge project at work, you may need to explain to your housemates that you are not available to clean up after everyone, and that everyone will need to pitch in more. Both situations can be reevaluated when things change. Because things always change. Creating flexibility in your priority scheduling will make it easier to give your best effort to whatever it is that most needs it at any given time.

Modifying our blend of work efforts and life efforts away from a “balance” concept to a set of weighted priorities can provide a multitude of benefits:

• Reduce stress and burnout
• Improve physical health
• Enhance mental well-being
• Boost productivity
• Encourage creativity and problem-solving
• Strengthen relationships
• Promote work satisfaction
• Foster personal growth
• Increase engagement at work
• Support long-term career success
• Improve overall life satisfaction

Future Trends in Work/Life Balance:

Now that the world has seen that remote work can work, I believe we’ll see a continued rise in telework and flexible work arrangements. One of the leading search terms on job boards now is “remote work.” One manager told me that several candidates for a job posting had asked what percentage of the work could be performed remotely. We’ve had a taste of it, and if the work can be done remotely, we’re wanting to do more of it remotely. (Condo at the beach, anyone?) Furthermore, remote work will also integrate more Artificial Intelligence and Virtual and Augmented Reality. We may soon be “gathering” in a virtually created office setting, sitting across a conference table from a colleague who is 2,000 miles away.

We should also expect companies to offer more support and resources to provide for the mental health and well-being of employees in their workplaces. This may include customizable work arrangements that accommodate individual employee needs and lifestyles. The increased flexibility in work schedules and locations can benefit the company as well as the individual, providing customer service or other support over a larger portion of the day without requiring longer hours. Employees will be able to devote better energy to work tasks knowing that they are not sacrificing family responsibilities. When location is less of a barrier, the employee has a broader range of possibilities, and the organization has access to a broader range of job candidates.

There are still challenges, though. You will still be responsible for maintaining boundaries between work life and not-work life in a world that is increasingly connected. You may feel disconnected from colleagues while working remotely. Not everyone is suited to remote work, especially if they need or want more direct input from supervisors. (Not everyone is a self-starter, and that’s fine, as long as everyone recognizes it and can work with that.) Additionally, remote and flexible work relies heavily on technology and connectivity. Knowing when to step away is critical to your other personal interactions and mental health.

What about you?

Take some time to think on your own work/life conditions. What does work/life balance mean to you? It’s different for everyone. Spend some time identifying your own priorities and boundaries, seeking a balance that suits your own lifestyle and needs. Is there something you need to adapt to so that you can embrace any changes that may enhance your work and personal life? This is an ongoing process that requires periodic reevaluation and realignment. What works great today can change when something unexpected pops up at work or in your family. You just find the one that works for you right now, and work it.

Now it’s your turn to share your ideas with me. What do you see as the future of work/life balance? What strategies do you use to maintain yours?