by Optimum
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So, I work in Recruitment and one of the top questions I am asked when interviewing is “What work life balance does the company offer”?
Let’s be honest, “work-life balance” sounds to me exhausting
Like, we’re already busy trying to keep our lives together… and now we have to balance them too? To me this sounds like a second job. But hear me out because once you ditch the idea that balance means some perfect 50/50 split, it actually gets a whole lot easier.
Balance isn’t a schedule. It’s not a morning routine. It’s not even a fancy planner, in my humble opinion it is simply doing what keeps you focused, healthy, and actually enjoying your life.
It should be your version not everyone else’s version.
Some people are up at 5am, gym done, emails answered before the rest of us have found our glasses. Others do their best work at 11pm in their pyjamas. Both are valid. Neither is superior or wrong.
The problem starts when we try to squeeze ourselves into someone else’s rhythm and then wonder why we feel flat, frazzled, or just a bit… meh. That’s not a productivity problem. That’s a misalignment problem.
Burnout doesn’t arrive dramatically. It doesn’t knock on your door and announce itself. It’s more like your phone battery slowly draining because you forgot to plug it in. One day you’re at 100%, the next you’re mysteriously at 12% and wondering when that happened.
The fix? Stop waiting until you’re on low power mode to recharge.
You’re not the same person you were 2 years ago, and your balance shouldn’t be either. Some actually doable things that I suggest: Figure out when you’re actually switched on and protect that time like it’s your last biscuit in the tin. Schedule rest before you need it. Say no occasionally and check in with yourself every few months “Is this still working for me?” is one of the most underrated questions you can ask.
Productivity isn’t about how many hours you log. It’s about how consistently you show up and you can only do that sustainably if you’re actually looking after yourself.
The maths isn’t complicated, a well-rested, recharged you will outperform an exhausted, running-on-fumes you every single time.
So, if your balance is feeling a bit wobbly right now that’s okay. It’s not something you nail once and never think about again. It’s an ongoing, very human process of figuring out what works, what doesn’t, and giving yourself permission to adjust.
I am genuinely curious about what your thoughts are on this, as it is one of the big questions I get asked in recruitment all the time
Alicia Sumich, Group Manager – Business Development
