Work is Indeed Personal
I tried my best to delineate work and personal life. I put so much effort into not bringing work at home or personal stuff at work. I also used to think that being stretched at work was good for me – both for my career and my personal life. Well, I could have approached my work and personal life differently if I only knew better. First, it is challenging or nearly impossible to delineate work from personal life and vice versa. The person that goes to work and attends to personal needs and relationships is the same person. Though the mindset might shift as one goes to work or relate to family matters, at the core of it all is the same person with values, personalities, and behaviors – that are hopefully consistent, regardless. The word "balance", because it connotes the equal allocation of time, effort, and resources for everything, may no longer be suitable. However, the word "integration" is more appropriate. If delineation of the different areas of life is nearly impossible, integrating these various aspects of life would be more pragmatic. Integration emphasizes the prioritization and importance of particular life areas while highlighting the identity of the person doing the juggling and mixing/matching of resources, capabilities, and tasks.
And second, as we are all unique, we also have our unique thresholds. Our ability to be stretched or to accommodate stress varies for every individual. Our awareness of our own stress limits is critical. Similar to a rubber band, we have our respective elasticity levels that we need to consider, care for, and manage. Being stretched overtime may lead us to lose our elasticity levels or cause us to snap. Healthy coping strategies are necessary for us to maintain our normal levels.
During the height of the pandemic, we saw the total breaching of boundaries between work and personal life. Personal difficulties brought about by the pandemic such as struggles in the area of mental health were prevalent and had a significant impact on work performance. A survey done by MindNation in 2021 showed that talent loss, employee absence, and productivity loss were common in companies with employees with mental health concerns.
What transpired reminded me of a statement that first I encountered in 2014. It was sometime in October, during a New Manager's Training that I heard the statement "Work is personal". The speaker further explained that whatever is happening to a person's life, it translates to his or her performance at work. This changed my perspective about work and how I approached it. It was contrary to a longtime belief – thus, it was an eye-opener for me. Though it was an insight that I welcomed, it took time for me to realize what it truly meant until recently.
For example, this can simply mean that the physical or virtual presence at work can't put on hold the spousal and parental obligations. I would be thinking about family while at work, omitting the fact that the family is one of the motivations of a person to work. In addition, any type of personal crisis poses a threat to the performance at work. Probably, one can end up jobless because of a personal crisis.
Work is indeed personal. It involves the spiritual, mental, and physical components of our being. Our values, beliefs, or faith are the moral factors that guide us in making decisions. This also aids us in defining our priorities and boundaries for the various aspects of our lives. Our mental component, which may translate to our mindsets, emotions, and behaviors, is critical in demonstrating our capacities. The abilities that we have are highly dependent on our mental resilience, thresholds, and coping mechanisms. Lastly, our physical body is necessary for us to create tangible results and relate to the physical world. Work is personal and must be approached holistically – similar to the different areas of life. It calls for the integration of human components and requires the person's identity to set the framework.
Written by: Keene Calipara