Work/life balance continues to be a hot career issue and buzzword for employees of all ages.  As a leadership development consultant, how to balance the scales between work and home life is often requested as a topic to discuss.  

It is my belief much of the stress and pressure people perceive in the workplace is a result of the digital invasion with an emphasis on speed. Mark Taylor, author of “Speed Limits: Where Time Went and Why We Have So Little Left,” explains the digital invasion this way:

“The worship of speed reflected and promoted a profound shift in cultural values that occurred with the advent of modernity and modernization. With the emergence of industrial capitalism, the primary values governing life became work, efficiency, utility, productivity, and competition. … Contrary to expectation, the technologies that were supposed to liberate us now enslave us, networks that were supposed to unite us now divide us, and technologies that were supposed to save time leave us no time for ourselves.” Since we still only have 24 hours in a day, we don’t manage time — we have to manage our behaviors.

While there is a movement to “unplug” and “disconnect,” it feels as if we are on a cultural treadmill that encourages us to accept an all-stress-all-the-time lifestyle as the new normal. 

In his book “In Search of Balance: Keys to a Stable Life,” Richard A. Swenson believes balance is possible if we set intentional boundaries that allow “margin” in our lives. “Margin creates a space in our lives for the things that matter most. Balance preserves that space in our lives for the things that matter most,” and our core priorities are the things that matter most.

Janice Marturano, in her book “Finding the Space to Lead: A Practical Guide to Mindful Leadership,” agrees that leaders “simply do not have the space, the breathing room, necessary to be clear and focused, and to listen deeply to ourselves and others.”

Balance does not just happen. We have to work at it and be intentional about establishing margin-space in our lives. Restoring balance to work and life takes awareness and courage, and might involve risk. Swenson and Marturano suggest the following:

• Stop: Take time to reflect, notice how you are really doing and feeling, recognize how you are treating others. Stay grounded in your values, as they act as a rudder amidst chaos.
• Defend boundaries: Having clarity around our core priorities and what matters most gives us the courage needed to defend our boundaries.
• Learn to decline with gratitude: Before you agree to something, don’t check your calendar — check your goals. Only say yes out of genuine interest. 
• Have several gears: In many workplaces, there seems to be only one speed, and that is fast. There are times when we need to shift to “park” or “neutral” in order to be mindful of what can lead to better decisions and healthier relationships.
• Obey the speed limit: Everyone might be “speeding,” but know yourself. When you are going “too fast,” you are likely to break down. 
• Find space: Seek time to “unplug and disconnect” in order to remember your priorities and to be present. Consider a silent retreat to stop thinking about work. 
• Maximize your energy: Energy, not time, is the main component of high performance. 
• Take care of yourself: Our bodies are systems, and just as in automobiles, we have to take care of maintenance if we want the vehicles to operate properly.
• Cherish the home: Swenson says, “If we wish to have a work-life balance, we first need a “life” to occupy that side of the equation.” While not everyone has a spouse and children, we each have some type of family — people who care about our well-being. “The family, traditionally, is the great shock absorber of society. … The shock absorber itself has been shocked.”

According to Swenson, the bottom line is to remember: “Margin helps us keep our balance; balance helps us preserve our margin.”