There are many reasons why people lose a healthy work-life balance. One of the most common reasons is the pressure to meet work-related deadlines and targets. In many industries, employees must work long hours and sacrifice their personal lives to meet their key performance indicators (KPIs). In a competitive corporate landscape, people might fear that not doing so will lead to a lack of promotion or worse. While there is nothing wrong with working hard, taking time off to rest is healthy and can ultimately enhance your creativity and productivity.

Another reason people need help maintaining a healthy work-life balance is the advent of technology that allows employees to work from anywhere at any time. This can make it a challenge to completely switch off from work when you can check emails and attend online meetings from home or even while on vacation! The problem is that this pattern can eventually lead to burnout and other mental health issues.

People’s fear of job loss is another reason they tend to overwork and lose their work-life balance. In certain careers, job security is precarious, and employees are under constant pressure to prove their worth to their employers. This fear can lead to overworking and neglecting their personal lives, leading to stress and anxiety.

Fortunately, there are ways to establish more explicit boundaries between your work and personal life. It is critical to achieve realistic goals based on your values. We tend to want to have and do it all, but we may have to sacrifice certain objectives or promotions at work to be more available as parents or partners. Setting boundaries requires carefully and intentionally evaluating what we value most and then structuring our time accordingly. By setting realistic and value-based goals, you can avoid overworking while being a more well-rounded person.

Many struggle with ‘people pleasing’ and saying no to work-related requests that conflict with their personal lives. Our many fears, perhaps a need for approval, or conflict avoidance, make it difficult to communicate openly with colleagues or managers. Although it can be uncomfortable, learning to decline work-related requests that interfere with your personal life politely is crucial and acceptable. This may require setting boundaries around your availability after work hours and being assertive about sticking to them.

We also need to disconnect from technology when not working. Do you turn off your work-related notifications and limit your email and phone usage outside work hours? This will help create a clear separation between work and home life, reducing the risk of burnout and stress.

Psychologists can offer valuable tools and support for people struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Your therapist can help you recognise the causes of your ‘blurred boundaries’ and guide you to develop strategies to manage this. Therapy can also provide a safe space to explore and identify your value-based goals and the steps to restore the right balance between your personal and professional roles.