Practical strategies for building and maintaining work/life balance

In a world that often prioritizes work productivity over well-being, shifting to a work-life balance mindset is essential to enjoying a more meaningful and healthy life.

This approach does not devalue work—it recognizes its role in providing resources and stability—but emphasizes that personal growth and well-being must come first. Your identity is not limited to your job title or professional responsibilities; you are a multifaceted person with passions and needs beyond work.

How to change the balance

Adopting a work-life balance mindset requires intentional action. It will not happen by default in a world that still centralizes and prioritizes work. Here are some practical steps that can help you begin to shift the balance.

1. Remember that you are human: you do not need to “earn” basic needs.

One of the most damaging beliefs is that our basic needs, such as rest and sleep, must be “earned” through productivity or hard work. This creates a cycle where your human needs become conditioned to work. For example, you feel guilty about taking a break unless you’ve completed all your tasks, or rescheduling a meal until you complete a task. This mindset can lead to burnout, as work demands are often endless, devaluing the importance of meeting our needs. Instead, consider reframing sleep, eating, exercise, and rest as necessary components of our daily routines and overall health and functioning.

2. Set limits and prioritize your health.

Protect your personal time by setting clear guidelines and boundaries around work. This may mean turning off after-hours email notifications or designating specific times for work and non-work activities. Setting boundaries can also involve learning to say “no” to extra tasks or projects that exceed your capacity, especially outside of regular work hours, and making an effort to protect your personal time, including lunch.

Make physical and mental health a non-negotiable priority. Schedule regular meals, rest, physical activity, relaxation, sleep, and mental health checks into your daily routine. Treat these health-related activities, whether they involve exercise, sleep, or mealtimes, as important appointments that cannot be skipped or postponed. By doing so, you honor, protect and meet your own needs, laying the foundation for long-term success and well-being in both your personal and professional life. When you invest in your health, you are investing in your ability to be your best self in all areas of life.

3. Participate in personal development and personal fulfillment.

Spend time on hobbies, learning and self-reflection. In my clinical practice, it is common to encounter people who express uncertainty when asked about their hobbies or interests. They might say things like, “I wouldn’t even know what to do with my free time,” or “I’ve been so focused on work that I don’t know what things I like to do,” or “I don’t know.” I don’t have time for fun.’ .Often, we are so used to our routines or obligations that we forget—or have never had the opportunity to discover—what really sparks our passion.Instead of seeing this realization as a problem, we can reframe it as one opportunity to explore, experience and rediscover our interests.

Consider this: You are a multifaceted person with different roles and responsibilities, including but not limited to work-related ones. As discussed above, your identity is not defined solely by your job title, responsibilities, or job title. If you had to introduce yourself, what else could you say besides what you do for a living? This is an opportunity to explore who you are beyond the confines of your work life, to rediscover passions, interests and activities that bring you joy and fulfillment, which are also some of our human needs.

4. Communicate your needs.

There’s no one specific way to communicate your work-life balance needs, and it’s important to recognize that different approaches can work. (or not!) according to your situation. For example, you can frame the conversation in a way that highlights how prioritizing balance benefits you and your workplace productivity. Alternatively, you can give specific examples, such as stating that you don’t check emails after work hours, or simply setting a limit without providing a detailed explanation. Remember that you don’t owe anyone a justification for the measures you take to take care of yourself and your health. That said, these conversations can be challenging and intimidating, especially when power dynamics or workplace hierarchies are at stake. In these cases, it may be helpful to first communicate your needs with your support systems, such as loved ones, trusted peers, or co-workers, and gradually progress. You can also find allies in the workplace, perhaps a coworker you trust or a supervisor with whom you have a close relationship, to support your efforts.

Ultimately, engaging in these dialogues can be challenging and uncomfortable, but it’s worth the effort. You deserve respect, including having your basic needs met and making sure others respect those boundaries. Finally, recognize that your version of balance may not align with societal expectations or look like your peers’ versions, and that’s okay. What matters most is finding a balance that works for your individual needs and reality. It is a process; you can always make the changes that suit you.

Final thoughts

Developing and maintaining work/life balance is not about dismissing the importance of work, but about recognizing that your identity goes far beyond your professional role. Work can support the life you want to live, but it doesn’t have to define or consume it. By reframing wellness as essential, not earned, you begin to recognize and integrate what really matters into your daily routine.

Setting boundaries and prioritizing health, both physical and mental, will allow you to show up more fully in all areas of life, including work. Remember, it can be tempting to measure our worth by our work productivity, but engaging in self-reflection and personal growth is also productive because it promotes overall health and well-being.

Ultimately, work-life balance is an ongoing process, one that allows you to thrive personally and professionally by remembering your humanity and putting it at the center of everything.