14/07/2026
We've been poisoned to think that work-life balance is this Hollywood film where the protagonist wakes up at 5AM for a Yoga class, a broccoli-banana smoothie in her right hand, drops off the kids at school, and pops into her cubicle by 9AM. In the evening, they volunteer for a soup kitchen and then cap off the day with gossip over a hot Chamomile tea with her bestie at a nearby hotel lobby. And then rinse and repeat.
But we were all made to believe that these characters in TV series like Suits (of which I'm a big fan!) or Scandal are the benchmarks. Hyperproductivity is hyped up so much that it is no longer fulfilling; it is exhausting. It has become performative because people need to know "I'm doing it" when I post it online. Let's get real. There is no such thing as this performative life.
The real definition of work-life balance asks: Are you intentional with your schedule? Are you in control of your calendar, or is someone controlling you? If I spend 70% of my time at work because I love what I do, does that mean I don't have work-life balance, since I'm supposed to spend more time on fun runs, which I don't like anyway? If your definition of happiness is being the best mom who goes home in time for dinner with her kid----is that also an absence of work-like balance because your teammates are still crunching slides at 9 PM?
This is where we need to rethink the definition and admit to ourselves that none of us should be imposing what work-life balance is. It is unique to each and every one of us. What may be more work for you may be less work for others. What may be a glamorously fulfilling, Instagrammable life for you may be fake for others. For as long as you're meeting your baseline (because, yes, protocols and metrics still need to be met) and you're intentional about what makes you happy, I think you. should. do. YOU. :)