Financial Blog

When was the last time you binge-watched a show? Can’t remember? It’s probably because you’ve started to feel like watching a show is a chore.

This is a common experience, especially for those who are struggling with work-life balance. As we focus on our careers, there is a tendency to prioritize meeting deadlines over everything else, which compromises our time to ourselves and with our loved ones.

Living in a fast-paced world has imposed pressure on us to constantly be productive and connected, making it harder to slow down on days when we should be resting. This blur between managing work and personal lives prevents us from achieving work-life balance. The concept of work-life balance is about effectively managing the demands of the two different major elements of our lives, work and personal life, and allocating sufficient amounts of quality time and energy to both.

Work-life balance in the Philippines is still a work in progress. While it is widely known and discussed, it is yet to be applied by many companies. In the Global Life-Work Balance Index 2024, the Philippines ranked 59th out of the 60 countries analyzed, placing it near the bottom. This highlights a need for companies to reassess and change their approaches towards work and life. 

But why do we put so much emphasis on the need for work-life balance?

Importance of Work-Life Balance

There are various reasons why a good quality of work-life balance is vital in this modern world, positively influencing our professional and personal lives. The following are some of the factors that highlight its importance, but are not limited to:

1. Boost productivity and quality of work

Having a good work-life balance can boost our productivity and quality of work. It might sound counterintuitive, but we must remember the importance of taking a step back from the hustle and bustle of work. This allows our minds to refresh as we engage with activities other than work, such as exercising, pursuing or finding a hobby, or spending time with loved ones. Simple activities like these help us return to our tasks with improved energy and clearer mindset, allowing us to approach our work with new insights. They also help reduce stress and risk our burnout.

2. Increased Job Satisfaction

A healthy work-life balance gives us the time and energy to nurture ourselves personally, which reduces stress and fosters a more positive outlook towards work. In turn, we stay motivated and engaged because we do not feel any burden of work-related problems outside the office. Moreover, a healthy work-life balance also brings us a sense of control over our lives, allowing us to manage our goals and relationships in our professional and personal lives better.

3. Improved Relationships

As we grow older, maintaining relationships slowly becomes a challenge due to lack of time or conflicting schedules. However, achieving work-life balance provides us with the opportunity to nurture these relationships we’ve built over the years. With more control over our time, we can make space for family dinners, outings with friends, and quality time with our significant other. 

Challenges in Work-Life Balance

Achieving work-life balance can be a challenge as it requires management of time and priorities of two different aspects of our lives. Work-life balance in the Philippines also presents its own set of challenges, shaped by various factors that make it hard for Filipinos to balance their personal and professional lives.

1. Cultural and economical factors

One of the challenges in work-life balance in the Philippines is the collectivist nature of Filipinos, which puts a strong emphasis on a sense of community, group connectedness, and collective goals. While collectivism is beneficial in other aspects of our professional lives, it also has its downsides, such as the tendency to prioritize the needs of our team over our own. This leads us to take on additional work or extend work hours to avoid any conflict within the group.

On the other hand, the state of the public transportation system in the Philippines is also a challenge in the work-life balance of Filipinos. Long waiting times, overcrowded public transport, delays, and inefficient transportation systems are only some of the issues that eat up the time that we should be using to relax. On top of this, the stress and physical fatigue from the daily commute also reduces our energy, making it difficult to produce quality outputs and engage in personal activities. 

2. Company culture

While some companies already embody a culture that encourages a healthy work-life balance, there are still some companies that still have a traditional culture where long work hours and constant availability equate to commitment and productivity. This often leads us to stay in the office even after completing our tasks to conform to the social norm in the company. 

3. No clear boundaries between work and personal lives

Lastly, a lack of boundaries between work and personal lives can pose a challenge in work-life balance. With the presence of email and messaging applications in this modern day, we can reach each other anywhere at any time. This leads to our colleagues sending us work-related messages after work hours, making us feel obligated to respond. On the same note, some employees with hybrid setup may not have a designated workspace or the privilege of one, causing them to take up their personal spaces.

Ways to Achieve Work-Life Balance

As difficult as it seems, the quality of work-life balance can still be improved with changes in our habits and mindset, such as the following but not limited to:

1. Add personal time into your schedule

The simple act of blocking off time for our personal pursuits can be a first step in achieving work-life balance. Whether it is for exercising or watching a show we’ve been wanting to see for the past few weeks, scheduling personal time ensures that we are also making time for ourselves. By treating our personal time as a non-negotiable part of our day, we train ourselves to balance work and personal priorities.

2. Focus on the results over hours

Another key to achieve work-life balance is to focus on the results over hours spent on working. Shifting our mindset in this way can help us become more efficient and productive in accomplishing our outputs. By focusing more on quality and outputs, we have the opportunity to allot more time to our personal activities.

3. Learn and practice how to say ‘no’

Learning how to say ‘no’ is also an important skill in addressing the challenges in work-life balance. It helps in setting clear boundaries, ensuring that we stick to our priorities for the day and avoid committing to additional tasks that could disrupt our personal time.

If saying ‘no’ feels difficult, then we could start by setting the additional task for another work day, especially if it is not urgent. This sets a clear expectation with our colleagues and encourages them to respect our personal time. 

We should remember that working does not mean we should forget to take care of ourselves. In fact, we should prioritize ourselves even more to better equip ourselves in taking on new challenges. By creating this balance, we allow ourselves to maximize our lives, enjoying both professional success and personal fulfillment. At the end of the day, we should not live to work, but work to live.

Achieve Work-Life Balance at Security Bank

Were you looking for a way to achieve work-life balance? At Security Bank, we place just as much value on our employees’ well-being as we do on their professional growth. We continuously aim to create an environment that fosters a holistic fulfillment. With our flexible and hybrid work arrangements, learning sessions, and a collaborative culture, our employees enjoy the benefits of thriving in their careers and personal lives.

If you’re looking to work in this kind of environment, click the button below to find open job opportunities at Security Bank around the Philippines.