Work-Life Balance or Work-Life Integration?

Recent events at work had me thinking about work-life balance and work-life integration.

A quick background: I am currently in another country working as an ex-pat. I am relatively new here. Different company, different country, different cultures — white, black, brown.

When I started working here, I did not think about the job as work. I was enjoying it, immersing myself to different cultures while doing my job. I was learning a new language — Bislama. I was also practicing my English skills everyday. Doing all these while also exploring the beauty of the country, Vanuatu.

In Vanuatu, people say that we are on “island time” — slow paced, relaxed, and never in a hurry. I felt this feeling for the whole four months that I was here. I go to work, do my job, go home, eat slow-cooked food, and most importantly sleep well. And on Fridays, we drink kava. On weekends, I get to explore nature: mesmerizing blue holes, surreal and virgin beaches. This was definitely the definition of “Work-Life Balance” for me. I was living THE life!

Photo by Lilyana Zivkovic on Unsplash

So, in the past three weeks since it has been hectic at work. I have been thinking if I am still living THE life. We worked for two weekends straight. We did not go to blue holes or beaches anymore. We still drink kava on Fridays though. Something feels different. Maybe we’re slowly adapting the Western Modern Culture of Work-Life Integration?

Now, I am a strong believer of having boundaries with work and personal time. Yes, I am willing to extend my hours if needed but reading e-mails and stressing over them while I’m already at home and in bed is a different thing. It is very important to draw that clear line on work and life balance. It is important to learn how to compartmentalize. While it is inevitable to talk about personal life and stories while at work, it is part of building rapport and emotional connections with your colleagues. And when outside work, it is also inevitable to talk about work especially when all your physical friends are also your workmates — as an OFW. This is where work-life integration comes in. Boundaries are important but work and life can also be integrated, building connections with colleagues allow you to work with each other easily.

“Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices.” — Betsy

Photo by Antonio Gabola on Unsplash

At work and life, we always have a choice. A choice to extend work hours or work at home after work. A choice to read e-mails in bed and be stressed before sleeping. A choice to define clear boundaries with work and personal space. And these choices will determine your attitude over both your work and your life. Better choice, better life.

I had this realization while writing this: when you move to a new environment where everything feels different, you will feel different. It is very important that you observe, adjust, and find equilibrium in the new environment that you are in before doing anything drastic changes at work and in life in general.

The point in life is to find equilibrium in what is inherently unstable.

END.

memento vivere