Commit To Work Life Integration Instead Of Work Life Balance

Ironically, the pursuit of work-life balance has always been inherently one-sided, and therefore inherently flawed. The responsibility of achieving it is placed solely on the shoulders of individuals, not employers. It took a pandemic for us to realize that we’ve been carrying the burden of unrealistic expectations for so long, that we thought we were failing when it was the system all along that was failing us.

What we actually need instead is Work-Life Integration. Work-Life Integration is a collaborative responsibility between employees and employers to create an environment where our work complements our life rather than competes with it. It is a more dynamic ideal that understands that instead of balance, we’d rather have agency in how we weave work into our lives, and experience more meaning in the work we choose to do.