The Pursuit of Balance When… You Love Your Job

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  Darren’s Story – Confessions of a Workaholic
  Understanding the roots of individual work values can help make sense of work-life balance choices, encouraging self-reflection, acceptance and compassion – towards oneself and others. To this end, I’ve set out to use this blog to feature a series of “work-life balance profiles“, exploring the personal history behind work-life balance choices, one story at aContinue reading “Darren’s Story – Confessions of a Workaholic”
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  Marsha’s Story – From high-flying professional to stay-at-home-mum
  Work-Life Balance Profile #3 – Marsha* This Work-Life Balance Profile tells the story of a high-flying City professional turned stay-at-home-mum, Marsha, who found working part-time after having children to be the “worst of both worlds”. After a devastating redundancy, she did not return to the workforce and has devoted the past decade to her family’sContinue reading “Marsha’s Story – From high-flying professional to stay-at-home-mum”
• Jhilmil’s Story – “My Work, My Identity”: on competitiveness, co-parenting & surviving job loss
  Work-Life Balance Profile #12 Introduction to Jhilmil’s ‘Work-Life Balance Profile’ Jhilmil was concerned that she would come across as “shallow” by saying how caught up her identity is in her work. On the contrary, I think that what she expressed is far from shallow, but rather a deep-rooted, universal feeling. Through my blogging, I’ve oftenContinue reading “Jhilmil’s Story – “My Work, My Identity”: on competitiveness, co-parenting & surviving job loss”
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  Finding Balance on Her Own Terms: “Single by Choice; Childfree by Choice”. Laurie’s Story – On Doing ‘What Suits You’
  Work-Life Balance Profile #14: Laurie Macpherson Introduction to Laurie’s Profile I once read that you can tell a lot about a person by the wording they use when setting email ‘out of office’ messages. There are those of a controlling nature, specifying instructions for every eventuality; those full of apology, betraying a sense of guiltContinue reading “Finding Balance on Her Own Terms: “Single by Choice; Childfree by Choice”. Laurie’s Story – On Doing ‘What Suits You’”
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  “Stay at home, Mum”: Nadine’s Story – on opting out of a career path & valuing a mother’s presence
  Work-Life Balance Profile #16: Nadine* You can listen to the episode of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’ based on this blog entry by clicking here. Introduction to Nadine’s Profile Writing a blog about how differently individuals strike a balance between “work” and “life” has brought me into contact with many working mothers from acrossContinue reading ““Stay at home, Mum”: Nadine’s Story – on opting out of a career path & valuing a mother’s presence”
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  A Fine Balance – The Podcast: Episode 8 Out Now
  EPISODE 8 of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’ is out now! This episode of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast‘ features Tom McLaughlan, a retired Government Relations Advisor, who now works voluntarily for a crisis intervention charity. Tom first featured on ‘A Fine Balance – The Blog’ in August 2021. In this podcast episode,Continue reading “A Fine Balance – The Podcast: Episode 8 Out Now”
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  Finding Balance by Using Time Wisely: Julia’s Story – on Time Management, Choosing Jobs that “Matter” & Advocating for Improved Flexible Working Rights
  Work-Life Balance Profile #19: Julia Elmer (TL;DR heads-up that this is a long blog post! The following introduction is a brief summary) Introduction to Julia’s Profile Julia’s story is one of a full-time working mum of two, who considers herself to have an optimum work-life balance of 50:50. This hasn’t always been the case forContinue reading “Finding Balance by Using Time Wisely: Julia’s Story – on Time Management, Choosing Jobs that “Matter” & Advocating for Improved Flexible Working Rights”
• When Life Gives You Lemons, Go and Make Some Sparkling Rosé
  Wine-Making & Work-Life Balance Is it hard to find a work-life balance when working in an industry that reacts to seasonal changes? This weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful grounds of Chapel Down, touring the vineyard, learning all about the English wine-making process, and sampling their produce, of course. I was struckContinue reading “When Life Gives You Lemons, Go and Make Some Sparkling Rosé”
• On a Mission: Work-Life Balance When You Have Your Eye on the Prize
  Since the England women’s national football team, the Lionesses, won the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 a couple of weeks ago, I have spent more time than usual scrolling online for snippets of football highlights and post-match press conferences, reliving and absorbing the build-up and crescendo of the team’s glorious victory. Like many others I’ve spokenContinue reading “On a Mission: Work-Life Balance When You Have Your Eye on the Prize”
• “My Work is My Health”: Finding Balance When Work Comes First – Gilles’ Story – On the Virtues of Working Hard, the Perils of Loneliness, and the Importance of Quality (over Quantity) When it Comes to Spending Time
  Work-Life Balance Profile #20: Gilles Dahan (TL;DR heads-up that this is a long blog post! The following introduction provides a flavour of the content) Introduction to Gilles’ Profile References to improving your work-life balance usually allude to reducing the “work” side of the work:life ratio. For example, by taking regular lunch breaks, clocking off earlierContinue reading ““My Work is My Health”: Finding Balance When Work Comes First – Gilles’ Story – On the Virtues of Working Hard, the Perils of Loneliness, and the Importance of Quality (over Quantity) When it Comes to Spending Time”
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  ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’: Season 2, Episode 2 Out Now
  I am thrilled to announce that the next episode of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’ is out now, featuring my guest, Katie Ford. You can listen by following this link, or by subscribing via any of the usual podcast providers. Katie started her career as a vet, yet her experience of burnout on accountContinue reading “‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’: Season 2, Episode 2 Out Now”
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  On Finding Balance as a Career-Driven Family Man, When Work Takes Priority: Gilles’ Story
  ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’: Season 2, Episode 3 Out Now The third episode of this season’s podcast is out now, featuring Gilles Dahan, a former banker and head of global trading, who left the finance industry in 2019, and now works as a consultant and entrepreneur. This podcast episode contains some great nuggetsContinue reading “On Finding Balance as a Career-Driven Family Man, When Work Takes Priority: Gilles’ Story”
• Three Work-Life Balance Hacks: Coming soon in the Next Episode of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’
  Over what’s been a very busy holiday period, I’ve been beavering away in the margins editing the next episode of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’, which features the indomitable Ruth Todd CBE as my guest. There are three work-life balance hacks that I’ve so far picked up from listening back to Ruth talk aboutContinue reading “Three Work-Life Balance Hacks: Coming soon in the Next Episode of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’”
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  On Finding Balance When You Want to “Have It All”, Teamwork & Avoiding Stress: Ruth’s Story
  ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’: Season 2, Episode 4 Out Now I’m delighted to introduce the guest of my next podcast episode, Ruth Todd CBE. Ruth’s career has been full of managing complex infrastructure and change projects for a string of blue-chip companies, often under public scrutiny. Formerly Programme Director of the UK’s VaccineContinue reading “On Finding Balance When You Want to “Have It All”, Teamwork & Avoiding Stress: Ruth’s Story”
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  Fatherhood and the Pursuit of Balance
  For what it’s worth, 57½ : 42½ is the combined work:life ratio of all the fathers I’ve interviewed on the blog and podcast, A Fine Balance. Each of these fathers balances their fatherhood with their work and other relationships and interests in their lives differently. There are no rights or wrongs. Just a personal andContinue reading “Fatherhood and the Pursuit of Balance”
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  On Pride, Acceptance & Finding Balance by Parenting Equally: Paul’s Story
  A Fine Balance – The Podcast’: Season 2, Episode 6 Out Now How does a married couple – with a young child (and a puppy) – find a balance between each partner’s career and home life, when they both work full-time? My guest this episode, investigative journalist Paul Morgan-Bentley, claims to have the answer: theyContinue reading “On Pride, Acceptance & Finding Balance by Parenting Equally: Paul’s Story”
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  Upstairs, Downstairs
  Over the summer holidays, I visited Audley End House and Gardens with a bunch of kids. In the converted horse stables, a series of short video clips was playing that transfixed us all. Actors were dressed up as employees that worked on the grounds – from gardeners, to butlers, to farmers – and in turnContinue reading “Upstairs, Downstairs”
• Finding Balance as a Mother – when You’re Ambivalent About Having Kids
  Not every woman has a burning desire to be a mother. The rhetoric I’ve usually come up against when interviewing working mothers is that motherhood is a longed-for and revered part of their overall ambition. But, of course, that’s not always the case. Parenting responsibilities are often cited as the reason for work-life balance considerations.Continue reading “Finding Balance as a Mother – when You’re Ambivalent About Having Kids”
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  Finding Balance by Turning Your Passion into a Side Hustle: Bettina’s Story
  Season 3, Episode 2 of ‘ A Fine Balance – The Podcast’ – Out Now There’s a saying that I’ve heard banded around communities of side hustlers that goes: “Your nine-to-five may make you a living. But your five-to-nine makes you alive“ This certainly rings true for the guest of my next podcast episode, BettinaContinue reading “Finding Balance by Turning Your Passion into a Side Hustle: Bettina’s Story”
• Finding Balance When You’re An Introvert in a Family and Workplace Full of Extroverts
  Season 3, Episode 3 of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’: OUT SOON Subscribe here to be notified when the podcast episode is available to download. And if you enjoy it, please drop a rating and review! “I’m not very good at work-life balance“, said my latest podcast guest sheepishly, after summarising that he choosesContinue reading “Finding Balance When You’re An Introvert in a Family and Workplace Full of Extroverts”
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  Finding Balance When You’re An Introvert in a Family and Workplace Full of Extroverts – Podcast Episode OUT NOW: Season 3; Episode 3
  Picture this scenario: You’ve been invited out by friends for a drink after work. Throughout the course of your day, you get pulled into some important, absorbing work that needs dealing with.  What do you do? For my latest guest on ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’, Rami Madbouli, the decision to choose work overContinue reading “Finding Balance When You’re An Introvert in a Family and Workplace Full of Extroverts – Podcast Episode OUT NOW: Season 3; Episode 3”
• Podcast Episode Out Today: On Housekeeping, Middle Age, and the Pursuit of Balance When Your Marriage Comes to an End – Helen’s Story
  My interview with Helen Hayward primarily centres around the subject of her latest book, “Home Work”, a series of essays about the work we do around the home. It was fascinating to delve into a discussion on something so ordinary, yet such an integral part of daily domestic life. Helen’s analysis illuminates a perspective ofContinue reading “Podcast Episode Out Today: On Housekeeping, Middle Age, and the Pursuit of Balance When Your Marriage Comes to an End – Helen’s Story”
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  Self-Employed or Employed – Which is Better For Your Work-Life Balance? Work, Life, Balance Lesson #6 – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY
  Have you ever wondered if you’d have a better work-life balance by quitting your nine-to-five and setting up on your own? Perhaps you are self-employed and considering re-entering the workplace as an employee? Do you think doing so will enhance, or be detrimental, to your work-life balance? Or maybe you’re just generally interested in howContinue reading “Self-Employed or Employed – Which is Better For Your Work-Life Balance? Work, Life, Balance Lesson #6 – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY”
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  Finding Balance When You’re Single and Looking for Love – Katie’s Story: NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY
  Work-life balance isn’t typically a topic you’d associate with single, young professionals with no caring responsibilities. Yet, as this episode’s guest, a business development manager and creator of the Single Sounds podcast, Katie McNamara shares, this is a time in life when there’s a lot going on. When you’re starting out in your career andContinue reading “Finding Balance When You’re Single and Looking for Love – Katie’s Story: NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY”
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  Finding Work-Life Balance by Escaping the ‘Rat Race’ – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY
  This Work, Life, Balance Lessons episode has been inspired by a range of conversations I had with strangers during my summer holiday in Canada. These people – men and women, ranging in ages and professions – had one thing in common: they had all left big cities to locate themselves in remote places of naturalContinue reading “Finding Work-Life Balance by Escaping the ‘Rat Race’ – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY”
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  How To Reset Your Work-Life Balance by Mastering Four Internal Elements – With Faust Ruggiero – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY
  In this episode of A Fine Balance – The Podcast, I’m joined by Faust Ruggiero, a US-based therapist and author whose career spans over 35 years of working with people from all walks of life. From his time in clinics, prisons, and inpatient facilities to his role as a consultant for major corporations, Faust bringsContinue reading “How To Reset Your Work-Life Balance by Mastering Four Internal Elements – With Faust Ruggiero – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY”
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  The Pursuit of Balance When Undergoing Infertility Treatment, and How to Regain Balance and Find Purpose in Unexpected Circumstances – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY
  Have you ever found yourself on a life or career path that took you completely by surprise? When a plan you’d mapped out so clearly in your head didn’t unfold the way you’d imagined — or hoped — it would? Well, my guest in this podcast episode, Lana Manikowski, is no stranger to that kindContinue reading “The Pursuit of Balance When Undergoing Infertility Treatment, and How to Regain Balance and Find Purpose in Unexpected Circumstances – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY”
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  On Being Bored and Unfulfilled at Work, Virtual Assistant Diary Management Tips, and Finding Work-Life Balance by Quitting Your Corporate 9-5 and Starting Your Own Business – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY FEATURING WOW MOM’S RACHEL GREEN
  Burnout at work can be like a fire that flames intensely until it eventually devours all its fuel and extinguishes in exhaustion. Conversely, boredom at work can be more of a fading ember, gradually fizzling out into oblivion. What they have in common, however, is their potential to lead to a similar work-life balance tippingContinue reading “On Being Bored and Unfulfilled at Work, Virtual Assistant Diary Management Tips, and Finding Work-Life Balance by Quitting Your Corporate 9-5 and Starting Your Own Business – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY FEATURING WOW MOM’S RACHEL GREEN”
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  On Self-Worth, Skincare Rituals, and Finding Balance Under the Weight of Parental Expectations – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW FEATURING DR FERNANDA DA SILVA TATLEY
  Podcast episode featuring Dr Fernanda da Silva Tatley: On Self-Worth, Skincare Rituals, and Finding Balance Under the Weight of Parental Expectations My guest in this episode is no stranger to mixing things up: she has moved countries and even continents multiple times in her life; she is a scientist with a PhD, describes herself asContinue reading “On Self-Worth, Skincare Rituals, and Finding Balance Under the Weight of Parental Expectations – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW FEATURING DR FERNANDA DA SILVA TATLEY”
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  On Balancing a Corporate Job With Creative Pursuits, Boundary-Setting & Cultural Influences – Urmi’s Story: NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW FEATURING URMI HOSSAIN
  In a world where the lines between work and personal life are increasingly blurred, achieving a work-life balance that feels right for you often comes down to the boundaries you decide to set for yourself and those around you. For my podcast guest this episode, there is no doubt where her work ends and theContinue reading “On Balancing a Corporate Job With Creative Pursuits, Boundary-Setting & Cultural Influences – Urmi’s Story: NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW FEATURING URMI HOSSAIN”
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  NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW: The Work-Life Balance Diary of a CEO & The Pursuit of Balance When Your Child is Struggling – Featuring Liza Berresford
  In this episode of the Work-Life Balance Confessions podcast, I’m joined by Liza Berresford, CEO of Thresholds – a provider of career support programmes – who speaks with remarkable honesty about what it really looks like to juggle a senior leadership role, family life, and her own wellbeing, while still very much in the thickContinue reading “NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW: The Work-Life Balance Diary of a CEO & The Pursuit of Balance When Your Child is Struggling – Featuring Liza Berresford”