by Michelle Wilkinson

Created on: July 25, 2011

Finding the right work-life balance is something that many people have to grapple with. It isn't always easy in a society where family is supposed to be important, yet where success is measured in terms of material possessions and the status of the job you have. Unless your whole life revolves around your career, the chances are you go to work in order to provide for your family, anyway. It may be that you have a job which just about covers your bills or you may enjoy a particular career in which you want to reach the very top. Either way, you could find that family life ends up coming second.

If you are doing a job just for the sake of earning money, you may find yourself doing low-paid work. Perhaps you didn't apply yourself at school and have never been very ambitious or your particular circumstances make it difficult to find any other kind of work. You may be more interested in having children and looking after your family than working all the time, but are only able to do this is by working. If you don't earn that much money you might have to work longer hours than you would like just to make ends meet, which clearly isn't ideal.

If, on the other hand, you have a 'proper' career that pays well you won't have to worry so much about your finances. However, you may have to deal with other pressures whilst you're at work, which you often end up bringing home with you. To reach the heights of your career you could find yourself going beyond what is expected of you, bringing rewards in terms of your career progress, but interfering with your family life. It is therefore important to consider what your priorities in life are.

Everyone would like to believe that it is possible to have it all, but in reality you're only one person and you can only spread yourself so thinly before something has to give. If you are more interested in your career than spending time at home, this is bound to put a strain on the relationships you have with other people in your life, including romantic partners and friends. Maybe that doesn't bother you too much if you are focused on how your career helps you earn enough cash to give you and your family a decent standard of living. However, material goods are not everything and it will be you who misses out on important family events and the general feeling of belonging that family gives you.

If you don't find the right balance between work and family life, one or both aspects of your life will suffer. If you work all the time without a break, it might be difficult to keep a long-term relationship going, which will affect you, as well as potential partners and children. Plus, working all the time isn't particularly healthy for you and if you do not find ways to deal with stress and keep fit, you may well end up developing health issues that affect the quality of your work or prevent you from working altogether. You therefore have to consider what really matters in life, so that you can prioritise and achieve a balance in your life that keeps you healthy and happy.

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