Is Work / Life Balance Possible?

Technology has done a lot of great things for humanity. It allows us to work smarter, not harder. It allows us to be more flexible in our lives. It entertains us and it keeps us connected. But even good things have downsides, and one of the greatest downsides to technology is the blurring of the lines between work life and home life. It used to be that you left work for the day and went home to be with your family. Now you leave work and your boss can still email you, even when you are at the dinner table, and expect a response. This has led to erosion of work/life balance, and America is one of the worst places it is happening.

The United States is ranked 30th — the bottom 20% — for work/life balance in the world. Nearly 12% of American workers work more than 50 hours a week, compared with half a percent of workers in The Netherlands, which is #1 in work/life balance. The 40 hour work week is slowly creeping up, and consequences can be severe.

Poor work/life balance can lead to problems both at work and at home, and if they aren’t dealt with they can lead to problems with anxiety and depression. Learn more about restoring your work/life balance from this infographic!