Work-Life: When Balance Becomes a Tightrope Act

Work-life balance. A concept that’s been at the forefront of workplace culture and productivity discussions for over half a century (if not longer).

 For many years “work-life balance” has been used to describe the sought-after output of successfully juggling the demands and expectations of work and personal life. But, just like the iPhone has evolved from maker-of-calls into an argumentative digital assistant telling you when to do what, work-life balance has morphed into a divide-and-conquer checklist.

 In a fast-paced and globalised world, the simple schedules and firm boundaries of the past are long forgotten. Many people’s jobs have colonised personal space – physical, intellectual, emotional – that used to be distinct. We may talk about healthy work environments, holistic wellbeing and how the dog copes when we’re at the office. But work can still feel like an experience that we never get to ‘exit’.

 It’s wild. And wildly complicated.

Less separation, more integration

 Work-life balance implies that work and life are two separate and competing entities that need to be equally distributed and kept apart. But this only convolutes the concept.

 In reality, work and life are increasingly intertwined and interdependent. Regardless of where you work - home, office or both - it’s unrealistic to remove yourself cognitively, physically and emotionally from life’s bits and pieces. And yet, there’s Severance.

From severance to synchronisation

 Imagine a world where you can forget work-related memories at the end of each day.

 This is the premise of the Apple TV’s Severance, a paranoid thriller, black comedy and corporate satire combo about Mark, an employee at Lumon Industries. Lumon is a biotech corporation that offers a radical solution: the severance of work and personal memories.

 There is a chip in Mark’s brain that divides his memory and perception, triggered every time he steps into the office elevator. Work Mark has no idea what his life is like outside the office; Home Mark has no idea what he does for a living. 

 This artificial division creates “Innies” (employees during their work lives) and “Outies” (the same employees during their personal lives), transforming individuals’ professional and domestic selves into distinct entities.

 The show raises intriguing questions about the repercussions of severing the two:

•  How would this kind of separation affect identity, relationships and wellbeing?
• What is the purpose and benefit/s of severance for a business and its employees?
• What would happen to workplace culture?
• What are the ethical and moral implications of severance?
• How to navigate the challenges and conflicts stemming from a divided existence

In Severance, everyone’s unhappy, almost all the time. The Innies are stuck in a mind-numbing spiral of meaningless work, while the Outies live in a cold, isolating world.

If your job sucks, guess what?

 If your job sucks, your life sucks. So aim for work-life integration instead of an elusive work-life balance. To be fair, balance in the modern world is like a unicorn. Imaginary.

 Find a way to blend work and life to suit your needs, preferences, and goals, and recognise that both are important and valuable. Be mindful and intentional about how you spend your time and energy. Prioritise what matters most, be flexible and adaptable, and lean into change and uncertainty. Most importantly, try to love what you do and do what you love.