{"id":7739,"date":"2022-02-17T15:38:51","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T15:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coolcompany.com\/uk\/?post_type=blog&p=7739"},"modified":"2023-04-17T08:50:30","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T08:50:30","slug":"struggling-with-work-life-balance-try-integration-instead","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/coolcompany.com\/uk\/blog\/struggling-with-work-life-balance-try-integration-instead\/","title":{"rendered":"Struggling with work-life \u201cbalance\u201d? Try \u201cintegration\u201d instead."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Struggling with work-life \u201cbalance\u201d? Try \u201cintegration\u201d instead.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

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If you love your job, it may be hard to balance work with your personal life. This is especially true for people who work in constantly innovating industries that are passionate about what they do. There\u2019s always a new book to read, a podcast to subscribe to, and industry people to meet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a big contrast to the type of job where someone works for a paycheque and can easily detach themselves by going \u201coffline\u201d until the next shift. Besides having the power to separate work and life, that mindset allows a person to direct their efforts to hobbies and other recreational activities without thinking about their job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the rest of us, separating our personal life from our careers can be challenging. So is there a better way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer is \u201cintegration\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The difference between work-life \u201cbalance\u201d and \u201cintegration\u201d is that the former mindset sets clear boundaries while the latter acknowledges that work is life for people that love what they do.
In other words, work-life integration is for people that are perfectly happy to dedicate their lives to their careers and make them part of their lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not everyone is going to vibe with that of course! For example, family-oriented people choose to dedicate time to children, others have multiple roles in their community, and some people simply choose to have a job to pay the bills while dedicating time to other pursuits like art and music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individuals like those in the above categories likely have to work at achieving a \u201cbalance\u201d across multiple priorities. In contrast, work-life \u201cintegration\u201d is a concept more suited to hyper-focused people focused on their careers. By integrating aspects of their work into their life, they can leverage this idea to achieve goals faster and with greater success.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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What work-life integration looks like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Work-life integration will look different for everyone, however it helps to set goals and schedule in activities that ensure you stay physically healthy and mentally balanced while avoiding burnout. Some ways to achieve that include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Establish a strict self-care routine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s really easy to lose track of time and miss out on important activities needed to stay healthy. Burning out is not an option! Besides compromising your overall health, it will reduce productivity and set you back. Some practices that can be incorporated into your routine include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n