5 myths of work-life balance

4 Myths that Won’t Give You Work-Life Balance

Hello, DoctorZed here, founder of 818: Unlocking Your Life.

As the pandemic fades into collective memory, people are re-evaluating their lives, and many are jumping on the bandwagon of ‘I want a better work-life balance!’

Their hearts are in the right place. They want to work, but they also don’t want to sacrifice too much of their family relationships and time away from home anymore.

But only a minority are actually achieving this. The reality, for most, is not meeting expectations. Even the promise of a 4-day week isn’t coming to fruition. So what’s going wrong?

Over 22 years ago, I quit my day job as a medical doctor and began my career as a writer. It was great. I could work from home, do my own hours, take a vacation whenever I wanted, and pretty much set my own agenda. I could even take my laptop and work in other countries, as long as I had access to the internet.This was all a BIG difference from what my previous employment offered. But it wasn’t all strawberries and ice cream. I earned significantly less, a WHOLE LOT less, which meant finding other employment to pay the bills and put food on the table.I also had to learn the business of writing and publishing—how to sell, how to market, how to pitch, how to GROVEL.The years passed and I got better at what I was doing. I created 2 businesses, DoctorZed Publishing (publishing books), and 818: Unlocking Your Life (life coaching), whilst also being a work-at-home parent.So when COVID came along, business didn’t really change for me. I was already set up working ‘remotely’. I’d had a Zoom account for years prior to 2020, so that wasn’t anything new. Plus all my staff were also set up remotely.Things were okay, and I was lucky enough that my businesses actually grew during the pandemic. People still read books. Authors were still writing (if not more), and people still wanted life coaching.After 22 years, I guess I’m now pretty experienced at juggling work-life balance from the comfort of my own home. And I’m also very aware of the myths of working remotely and believing the grass is greener on my side of the fence.


Download Your Free SMART Starter Guide


Here are the 4 Main Myths About Work-Life Balance Working at Home:
  • #1: I’ll have all the time I want to do my own things.

In all the years I’ve been working from home, I have found the biggest challenge to your day is time. Especially if you have kids.

Besides all the usual work distractions (emails, phone calls, social media, online meetings, ‘urgent’ requests, clients), there are all the home distractions (dishes in the sink, untidy bathrooms, messy bedrooms, rubbish to put out, ‘drop ins’ from neighbours and friends, dirty floors and carpets).If you’re not careful and disciplined, you might not even get started on work until 5pm, when all your office colleagues are clocking off. Or on the weekend. Did I say weekend? What’s that?

  • #2: All I need is a good internet connection.

This simply isn’t true. There’s no such thing as a good internet connection. It may be good today, but it will definitely crash at some point in the future, usually when you’re in a very important online meeting with a high-paying client or with your boss. You need a backup plan.

  • #3: I can do everything I need to do online.

This follows from the previous myth, but again it isn’t quite true. Humans crave human connection.

What I’ve learned about digital marketing (social media, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn networking, online content, website design etc.) is that it should be designed to establish face-to-face meetings. Humans are analogue, not digital, beings. We need the human touch.

  • #4: I’ll be more relaxed, less stressed, and therefore more productive.

This is closer to the truth, but still not quite right. Yes, you might well save 2 hours a day or more by not having to commute to and from work, but you have to be super-disciplined to cut out all the additional distractions that assail you when you work from home (see Myth #1).

If you’re not super-disciplined, all these extra distractions will add to your stress, not decrease your stress, and soon you’ll be wishing you were back at the office because it’s far less stressful.

Does all this mean that you shouldn’t seek a better work-life balance? Not at all!

You should consider the benefits of working from home (at least in part) if any of these are true:

  • If you need more flexibility with your family (e.g. kids and schooling).
  • You’re interested in running your own business from home.
  • You need to show someone (like an employer) that you can be more productive and effective in a different environment than the office.

So how DO you find a better work-life balance? Glad you asked!

Click the link below to learn how to find work-life balance.


Find Work-Life Balance. Take the First Step to Unlock the Life You Want Today!


ABOUT 818: UNLOCKING YOUR LIFE

At 818: Unlocking Your Life, we help proactive people thrive the SMART way. We give you the keys to a happy, healthy and wealthy mindset so you can free your time and live the life you always wanted. 818: Unlocking Your Life gives regular workshops, seminars, presentations, and courses to serve those who want to make a positive difference through positive action.

Sign Up to Our Newsletter for Positive Self-Leadership Tips to Unlock Your Life!