Lot of Workload, but Not Feeling Stressed (Burnout): Work Life Balance is Not a Result, but a Strategy

Ever felt very busy, but still able to go through the day in peace? Or on the contrary, feeling overwhelmed even though the work is not too hard?

Perhaps what makes the difference is not the number of tasks, but the balance of our lives.

So far, we often think of work-life balance as the ultimate goal or something that can only be achieved after work becomes light and free time is available. 

However, a study (Maghfira et al., in press) on 114 employees in Indonesia on work-life balance, job demand, and burnout in workers aged 19 - 57 years shows that work-life balance is precisely an antecedent factor (antecedent) of many job demands, which ultimately makes individuals avoid psychological fatigue.

The research shows that job demand is a perception that can vary from person to person, depending on how balanced the life of the person concerned is. This means that two people can be assigned the same task, but the first person feels overwhelmed, while the other person feels ordinary.

Thus, workload may be a matter of perception, not mere reality.

When our lives are more balanced, we will have a lot of energy and mental space to respond to the demands of work.

Work-Life Balance Reduces the Risk of Burnout

The results of the study (Maghfira et al., in press) also show that the better a person maintains a balance between personal and work life, the lower the risk of experiencing burnout (psychological fatigue). Burnout is a condition of psychological exhaustion indicated by emotional instability (easily irritated), cynical attitude towards others, and decreased confidence to get the job done. (Maslach et al., 2001).

According to the Conservation of Resources Theory (Hobfoll, 1989), psychological stress occurs when there is a threat of a loss of resources or a lack of gained resources following the spending of resources or providing significant effort. 

In employee work life, stress (burnout) occurs when a person loses resources in their life. The resources in question can include health, well-being, family, self-esteem, a sense of purpose or meaning in life, emotional stability, time, energy, etc.