Balance is another term that we often mistake for meaning “equal”. Work/life balance is not about spending the same amount of time and energy on work and “life”. It’s finding an equilibrium, a still point that allows for a sense of stability, even though things are still in flux around us. Likewise, equilibrium does not mean “equal” - where the equilibrium point is could be 80% of A and 20% of B or any other combination. It simply means that there is a stable quantity of each.
It’s hard to answer questions about vision and passion when you’re having to scrape yourself off the couch to do the most basic tasks. The irony is that one of the most effective ways to move out of burnout is to have a future-focused motivation that aligns with your passions. Identifying the activities that fill your energy tank is the best way to gain momentum that will get you out of the fatigue zone.
In my own in-house survey of women in STEM, a common source of frustration they mentioned was seeing women constantly overlooked for promotion. A seasoned engineer I spoke with reported a lack of change in the number of women at conferences in her field over the last 20 years. In networking events, I hear a lot of frustration over finding ways to self-promote that doesn’t feel gross or inauthentic.
