Work-life balance or work-life integration?

There's no right answer. Sorry!

I’m writing this from a coffee shop. Cliché, I know.

It’s one of my favourite remote work spots. The coffee shop has high ceilings, Scandinavian furniture, and the baristas chat like old friends behind the counter.

Clean white sneakers squeak across the floor as their owners ‘circle back’ and ‘touch base’ on work calls. Macbooks litter the tables, accompanied by flat whites and flaky pastries. A proper hipster place.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t got much work done. I’ve been overthinking the events of this morning.

I visited a teeny tiny house. An annexe, if you will. I fell in love instantly because that’s who I am: a person who falls in love at the drop of a hat. It’s one of the things I like most about myself; the capacity to see opportunity everywhere, in everything.

The annexe might be my next creative project. A thoughtfully curated space for people to stay for a few days at a time.

Design ideas swirl in my mind. I could sell art there. I could create a map of local businesses for guests to visit on their ventures into the city.

In my fantasy, I’m a year down the line. But for now, it’s today. And I have lots of other stuff to crack on with.

So far, I’ve actioned some edits in a few client projects. Researched some changes to the UK tax system for two more content pieces. Texted my dad between sips of earl grey.

And I can’t help but think: this is it. This is all work needs to be for me to be happy. Work can be something that happens alongside all the other exciting things in my life. Not a place to go, but a series of tasks that hold the same weight as any of my other pursuits.

The guilt I felt this morning for taking some time off to view a property has subsided.

“I feel like I’m doing something naughty,“ I confessed to Alex from the passenger seat. The whole time he was driving, I felt like a fully-charged battery. I was practically vibrating.

“Not at all. You’ve worked hard to earn this money. And now you’re doing something with it,” Alex countered, ever-logical. That’s a CBT therapist for you.

I’ve been hanging onto old ideas about work-life balance. New perspectives take courage. If an old belief isn’t killing you, it’s easier to hang onto it than to go against the grain.

I hear balance and I think 50/50. Everything split evenly. Work, relationships, health, sleep. A neat little pie chart.

As I’m sure you know, that’s rarely the case. The reality of balance is that some days it’s 80/20, and other days it’s 50/50. You can apply this to relationships, health, work – the lot. Rigidity is the enemy of growth, flexibility sets us free.

Before I met Alex, I worked relentlessly. Because it was the only solid thing happening in my life.

I don’t regret it, because it set me on the path to a thriving freelance business. But it left me with some nasty habits. I wore ‘busy’ like a badge of honour. I still feel guilty when I’m not being productive.

New narratives challenge work-life balance. Work-life integration is being touted as a sustainable alternative, where work and life responsibilities are merged instead of separated. I can see the appeal, but I fear this would ultimately consume me.

The last time I integrated work and life, I completely lost sight of my identity. Separating my work hours is the only way I can get all the types of rest I need. Physical, emotional, and creative rest. I don’t paint when I integrate work and life – I only paint when I carve out time for it.

The question of work-life balance or work-life integration is personal. I’d love to hear your thoughts on both. And feel free to challenge my thinking in the comments.

Big love,

~ Ebony-Storm x

---

The resource section

🧠 Usually I’m a music festival type of gal, but CogX looks like the kind of deep-thinking philosophical content crave. The event takes place September 12-14. Yuval Noah Harari is a speaker too (!)

🤖 Google has launched seven new generative AI courses – and they’re completely free. I’m going to get cracking on these over the next few months, so drop me a line if you want my verdict.

📊 This one’s for my UK friends: the CIPD’s good work index is out, and it’s a mixed picture. Too many people are missing out on flexible working options, and the impact of The Great Resignation isn’t as pronounced as expected.