23 Occupational Balance
What Is It?
Occupational Balance: Making time to do what you want to do and balancing it with what you must do for your health and emotional well-being (Zuba, 2022).
Why Is It Important?
Having good occupational balance means making time for the things you need to do while also allocating time for the things that you want to do such as hobbies or “me time”. Everyone has their own version of occupational balance, but this could consist of spending time with friends and family, volunteering, exercising, or watching a movie (Zuba, 2022). Maintaining occupational balance can help improve your well-being!
Signs of an unbalanced life (Zuba, 2022):
- Having a list of “to-dos” where it feels never-ending
- Being so busy that you aren’t able to accomplish your tasks
- Experiencing increased stress due to burnout, lack of sleep, or having too much on your plate
- Having physical symptoms like headaches, chest pain, dizziness, or upset stomach
- Having difficulty concentrating or losing focus
Why is having leisure roles and hobbies important?
- Creates life balance
- Increases quality of life and overall life satisfaction
- Promotes career and relationship satisfaction
- Reduces burnout
- Decreases stress levels
It’s important to note that leisure is not something you earn, you are entitled to having leisure time throughout your day or week. Remember occupational balance!
Tools You Can Use
Click the dropdown boxes for a snapshot of how to balance your time: