Work-life balance refers to the level of prioritization between personal and professional activities in an individuals life and the level to which activities related to their job are present in the home. It is the equilibrium between personal life and career work. Work-life balance is bidirectional, meaning work can interfere with private life, and private life can interfere with work. Work-life balance can be beneficial, such as work-life enrichment, or adverse, such as work-life conflict.

The unique nature of each of our lives and our fluctuating responsibilities means that work-life balance and work-life integration look different for everyone. Work-life balance involves consciously managing your time and maintaining a harmonious relationship between your work and personal life. It means you’re equally fulfilled by the duality of your personal life and your professional life, and one facet doesn’t dominate the other.

There is no magic formula for balancing work and life, nor one sure-fire amount of time you should allot to one versus the other. Instead of being a buzzword that is vague and open to interpretation, leaders need to provide for their team members a definition of work-life balance that is relevant to the current business environment. Promoting a healthy work-life balance means looking at the bigger picture – workload, health, well-being, socializing, restoration, and more – and taking a holistic approach to integrate all of those facets into a balanced life.