Table of Content
- What is Work Life Integration?
- Who can benefit from Work Life Integration?
- Why Work Life Integration can be a dangerous idea?
- Decide what Work Life Integration means for you personally
- Integration is about experiments
- Prioritize
- Don’t say ‘no’ to rituals
- Find your own ways to make personal life and work coexist together
We’ve already talked about what Work Life Balance is and why it’s important not to focus only on your professional life. Today a new term has appeared – Work Life Integration. In this article, we tell you what it is, what its fundamental difference is and who can find this approach useful.
What is Work Life Integration?
Work Life Integration isn’t about the balance between all areas of life, but about the integration of work into your personal life. The point is that in the modern world, it’s become difficult to separate work from life. This was especially affected by the coronavirus pandemic, when for many people the office became a home, and the home became an office. And even though many have already returned to their regular lives, the way we think has changed. Online calls, part-time or full-time remote jobs and much more – the natural course of things.
Work Life Integration proponents believe that work and personal life are inseparable, there is no sense to separate them and it’s better to focus on which task and at what time to complete. The standard mode “morning and afternoon for work, evening for everything else” isn’t for everyone. Someone prefers to run errands in the morning, respond to emails in the afternoon, then do the cooking and only in the evening start working. Work Life Integration helps a person combine personal life and work, not focusing only on the latter.
Who can benefit from Work Life Integration?
This concept is ideal for those who feel anxiety trying to divide work and life into two different parts. This approach eliminates competition between these important areas and helps you stop limiting yourself. Work Life Integration allows you to perform tasks creatively and find your perfect balance.
Why Work Life Integration can be a dangerous idea?
Let’s be honest, this approach isn’t for every personality type. It has a significant disadvantage: there is a chance that work-life boundaries become completely blurred, and you’ll stop living in the moment. Family plays a big role here, as Work Life Integration proponents will work irregular hours. There needs to be a supportive family structure, otherwise you’re unlikely to succeed. Also, don’t forget about tasks that can’t be put off. Besides, Integration can be challenging for office workers.
Work Life Integration isn’t about mixing everything. The process won’t look the same for every person, and two individuals following it, can have completely different lives. If you still want to try, here are some tips on how to do it right.
Decide what Work Life Integration means for you personally
Before you start, it’s important to understand why you’re doing this. How will you benefit from it? And will you benefit or not? For example, answer the following questions:
- Will it reduce the stress I feel finding it difficult to distinguish between work and life?
- Will I have more time to spend with my family and devote more energy to this part of my life?
- Will I have more time for creative projects to finally bring them to life?
Only if you understand why you need Work Life Integration, there is a chance you successfully implement it in your life.
Integration is about experiments
We’ve already said that it’s a very individual process. That’s why there are no ready-made solutions. You’ll need time to build your new life, so it’s impossible to avoid mistakes. Treat them with understanding and even interest. You’ll discover your true self and your life situation, adapting the idea of Work Life Integration into it. Try. Make a small shift, for example, you might decide to check your mail in the middle of the day and not in the morning. Watch and evaluate. Something will change, and you’ll feel more comfortable this way, but something will remain the same, and it’s normal.
Prioritize
Usually, you can hear this advice when talking about Work Life Balance. However, if you follow Work Life Integration, you shouldn’t forget about urgent tasks as well. The difference is that you need to learn how to quickly switch between one or another area of life, and at the same time not try to do everything at once. For example, those who practice this approach combine work calls and workouts or household chores. And they like it this way because there is always an opportunity to do exercises and housework when having calls.
Don’t say ‘no’ to rituals
Although flexibility is an essential skill of a modern person, it’s important for our brain to have some reference points and rituals. It’s crucial, especially if you work remotely and all boundaries between work and rest are blurred.
Find your own ways to make personal life and work coexist together
Everyone has their own technique. Someone can work till they drop or until their smartwatches tell them to stop. Someone distinguishes between areas of life, knowing that in the evening their child needs to be picked up from kindergarten. Find what works for you. The main thing is not to give up and keep trying if it didn’t work the first time.
For some people, work is life and for others it’s essential to create a division between work and personal life. Actually, it doesn’t matter which method is right for you. Most importantly, you find harmony, worry as little as possible and feel that you live a truly rich life. If you want to achieve this, you need to try!
