You don’t need someone to be a Psychology scholar to understand the importance of always seeking a balance between professional and personal life. It seems like something cliché to talk about and even impossible to achieve, but I assure you that is not the case!

What we do is an important part of who we are, but it is always worth noting that we are not “only” our work! This is a point that we need to reflect on, because in an increasingly modern scenario, where technology is increasingly present, many people forget to “close the box” at work at the end of the day, in other words “to disconnect”. of its demands. This intensified after the COVID-19 pandemic, as working in the remote model became the new normal, with that people needed to readapt. Once again here in this process of “readaptation” I mention the technology that gained even more space, with the intense use, for example, of cell phones, notebooks, etc. These tools greatly facilitate all work formats (remote/face-to-face/hybrid), practically allowing you to carry the “office” in your pocket, however, when not used correctly, they create a very fine line (which can be easily broken) between professional and personal life of the collaborator.

The risks that the imbalance between professional and personal life causes for an individual are enormous, from developing psychological problems (anxiety, stress, depression, burnout syndrome, etc.) to physical problems (muscle pain, headaches and others) and even problems that affect social relationships as a whole (family, friends and others). The losses are not limited only to the professional and his social circle, but also to the company itself, since an overloaded employee in the short term will become unhappy and this, therefore, will not allow him to carry out his activities and work well with his team. .

Here we have an important point when we talk about companies: working in an organization that respects your personal life and your needs is the first step towards achieving a healthy life in this sense. What’s the use of trying to have a balanced life and making an effort to do so if this mentality goes against the culture of the organization you work for? Look for a company that encourages a psychologically safe environment and that has humanized management.

Perhaps at this point in the article you could ask yourself: what would an organization with a psychologically safe environment and that has a humanized management be like? In general, it would be a company that offers benefits that encourage mental and physical health care, that encourages flexible working hours, always adapting the employee’s tasks to the possibilities of their daily journey, that is concerned with offering adequate equipment to carry out the demands in in a timely manner, which invests in a culture of communication through, for example, carrying out 1:1 ratios, climate surveys, etc. These are some characteristics that show that the organization really cares about and encourages the balance between the teams’ professional and personal lives. Here at ZBRA, we feel how much they really work, making people happier and healthier!

In addition to looking for a company that believes in and encourages these values mentioned above, you can (and should) also do your part to achieve a better quality of life. Organization is the first step: try to have a weekly plan of your activities, clearly delimiting those that are professional and personal. Avoid bringing discussions home from work: you need to learn to “disconnect” from work activities outside of working hours, how are you going to do this by reinforcing discussions that belong to this scenario? Always fill your free time with pleasurable activities: When your mind is full of positive stimuli such as going out with friends, watching good movies at the cinema, going for a walk, etc., you tend to be able to “disconnect” much more easily in your free time from work and see that you have life beyond him. Leave the cell phone aside: This here may seem like a big challenge for many, but there are alternatives, for example, silencing workgroups after office hours. There is yet another option that works for some people: having a “personal” cell phone and a “professional” cell phone restricted to work use only. Finally, it is always worth mentioning: if you find it difficult to set limits and organize your routine, seek help from a psychology professional.
The benefits for people who seek to maintain a balance between professional and personal life are enormous, such as: working with more joy and satisfaction, improvement in emotional and psychological health as a whole, more leisure time with family and friends, etc. The company also wins, as happier employees will produce more and the organization will have a happier environment.
It is always valid to reflect on the discussion proposed in this article, as it is about our mental health. Although each person is unique, that is, they feel, observe and process things in their own way and in their own time, it is a fact that without emotional and psychological balance we will have serious damage in all spheres of our lives!