Balancing work and personal life is often a challenging task in today’s fast-paced work environment. Work often dominates our personal lives, due to which, many sacrifice their well-being for professional success. However, maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for our physical and mental health. Ghazal Alagh, co-founder of Mamaearth, recently ignited debate on LinkedIn after she pointed out that founders of Infosys, LinkedIn, Netflix and Reddit don’t believe in the idea of work-life balance and that work-life balance does not exist for people building businesses.
The former Shark Tank India panellist highlighted that the definition varies from person to person, as it is based on their goals, priorities and life stages. Soon after she shared the post, it sparked a conversation among professionals, who shared their definitions and perspectives.
“I bet you don’t know what’s common among the founders of Infosys, LinkedIn, Netflix and Reddit. They all believe that work-life balance does not exist for people building businesses. However, I think the definition of work life balance is misunderstood. The work life balance debate arises from misunderstanding what it really is. Instead of viewing it as a rigid concept, we need to recognize that work-life balance is created, not found. It’s a subjective term that varies based on one’s aspirations, priorities, and stage in life. What may seem like an ideal balance to one person could be completely off for another," the entrepreneur explained.
According to Ghazal Alagh, some may prefer to balance their commitments daily, while others may opt for a weekly balance, working hard during the weekdays and relaxing on weekends. On the other hand, some may dedicate several years to their career before taking a longer break. Alagh believes that the key is allowing people to define what work-life balance means to them, whether it’s their career or personal life. According to her, the definition of work-life balance should be shaped by a person’s dreams and goals.
Reacting to the post, a user agreeing with Ghazal Alagh’s perspective, shared, “Work-life balance purely depends on one’s needs and wants and can change over time. When companies give flexibility and autonomy to their people and support the definition of work-life per their needs, that’s truly a company to admire."
Another suggests, “Ultimately, it’s about finding harmony between professional ambitions and personal fulfilment, tailored to each individual’s journey and aspirations."
An individual wrote, “Work-life balance to me is three words trying to sound important. Reality is work and (personal) life coexist. Like any balance, there will always be ‘give a little take a little’ going on. Sometimes, work will take more focus, time and energy, and at other times, personal life will. They cannot be compartmentalized."
“Defining work-life balance is like choosing a Netflix show, totally depends on my mood and workload," a comment read.
One more added, “Another term which is very close to work-life balance is flexibility. Just could be that someone needs to be free in the morning and available to work in the evening."
Since Ghazal Alagh shared the post on LinkedIn, it has gone viral and garnered over 1,600 reactions.
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