Navigating Work-Life Balance: Myths vs. Realities

If you’ve ever felt like you’re running a marathon without a finish line in sight, you’re not alone.

As professional moms, balancing career ambitions, family responsibilities, and self-care can feel like a never-ending challenge. Balancing the demands of work and home is a constant struggle for many moms, leading to stress, burnout, and even health issues. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, 42% of working mothers report feeling stressed often or very often, compared to 32% of working fathers.  As a working mom, I have faced these challenges and am keenly aware of the stress associated with finding a sustainable balance and avoiding burnout. I promise the strategies I share here will help you reclaim your time, energy, and peace of mind. I aim to help you excel in your personal and professional lives.

 The Reality of Work-Life Balance - Understanding the Myths and Realities 

• Myth:  Work-life balance means having equal time and energy for work and family daily.

• Reality: Balance doesn’t mean a 50/50 split between work and personal life each day. Instead, it’s about finding a sustainable rhythm that works for you over time. Some days might require more focus on work, while others allow for more family time.

• A Gallup poll found that 60% of working mothers feel that managing work and home life is challenging. The reality is, balance is an ongoing, dynamic process, not a static achievement.

Real work-life balance means understanding that there will be times when you must put more effort into one aspect of your life than the other , and that is perfectly acceptable.  That means you do not need to apologize when your child is sick, and you need to prioritize their wellbeing. For me, this happened when my son was diagnosed with kidney cancer. I had to put his care above my career for a specific time window.

The opposite may also be true. There may be times when a career takes priority. That means explaining to your family that you are working on a big work project and are under a deadline. Help your family understand your work's value and its impact on them. I did this by planning a memorable family trip after a particularly intense work season.