E11: Work-Life Balance vs. Work-Life Integration - What’s the Difference, Why It Matters

Did you know that the term work-life balance first came about in the early 1900’s to help reduce burnout for factory workers? Work has changed a lot since then (hello Internet!), so it’s only natural that the way we think about how work fits into our lives should change too. Enter: Work-life integration. In this episode, I’ll talk about the difference between work-life balance and work-life integration, and reveal some signs that you likely have a high level of integration in your own career and life. I’ll discuss why flexibility is not always an essential ingredient for successful work-life integration and why having integration doesn’t mean saying goodbye to the boundaries you’ve set between your work and personal life.I’ll share some tips for increasing your own work-life integration (that don’t involve getting a new job!), including what my mom taught me about integration before anyone was even talking about integration.