{"id":12999,"date":"2018-08-10T22:35:45","date_gmt":"2018-08-11T05:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/?p=12999"},"modified":"2024-07-17T09:15:16","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T09:15:16","slug":"work-life-balance-hustle-hype","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/work-life-balance-hustle-hype\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Work-Life Balance Trumps the Hustle Hype"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\"I rarely get to see my kids. That's a risk you have to take.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> - Andrew Kemendo, Creator of Pair<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last year, Apple Music launched a new show called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/planetoftheapps.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planet of the Apps.<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0It was like American Idol, but for software developers. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Entrepreneurs had 60 seconds to pitch their app idea to celebrity judges in the hope of winning startup funding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To promote the series, the show's Twitter account posted this:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/planet-of-the-apps-ad.jpg\" alt=\"work-life balance doesn&#039;t exist in apple ad\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing this,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/apple-planet-of-the-apps-ad-developer-rarely-saw-his-kids-2017-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tech Twitter erupted.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Basecamp's Jason Fried called out Apple for promoting such a tone-deaf ad.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Pathetic\u2026 even Apple is promoting workaholism now. Check out this ad for their Planet Of The Apps show. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PKn30pWWgn\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/PKn30pWWgn<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Jason Fried (@jasonfried) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jasonfried\/status\/873174201129205761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 9, 2017<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was upset that such an influential company would promote unhealthy behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what most people didn't notice was that one of the show's judges was the King of Hustle himself, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.garyvaynerchuk.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gary Vaynerchuk.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gary-v-hustle.jpg\" alt=\"work-life balance hustle with gary v\" width=\"601\" height=\"200\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Culture of Hustle <\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vaynerchuk, CEO of Vayermedia, has helped popularize the term, hustle, through <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2KJgXKj\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">his books<\/a>, talks, and frequent videos.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what does \"hustle\u201d mean? The answer depends on who you ask.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some call it\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/tools-for-entrepreneurs\/what-it-means-to-hustle-in-the-world-of-business-c0dcbad988e8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the ability to overcome<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0rejection, knowing how to get noticed, and sustaining a strong work ethic.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But others believe that it's another word for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/08\/31\/opinion\/sunday\/silicon-valley-work-life-balance-.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\"extreme workaholism.\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It doesn't help that Vaynerchuk has admitted to working <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.garyvaynerchuk.com\/are-you-working-hard-enough\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">18 hours a day.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and celebrates it in brief Facebook and Snapchat videos. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gary-v-hustle-do-you.jpeg\" alt=\"is work-life balance possible or is gary v right you gotta hustle\" width=\"500\" height=\"280\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h3><b>Is <\/b><b>hustle<\/b><b>\u00a0and workaholism the only way to succeed?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The highlighting and celebration of this behavior has caused managers and workers alike to think if they don't push themselves to the edge, they've failed to do their best. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It's an all too common trap. Lead Generation Expert Scott Oldford <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/video\/297437\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wrote in Entrepreneur<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that most new business owners get caught in the hustle-hamster wheel:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\"Most entrepreneurs can't spend a second on social media without being hit in the face by a \u2018hustle-mode' type post, tweet, Instagram picture, quote or livestream.<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don't get me wrong, you have to work hard, but <\/span><\/i><b><i>\"hustle-mode\u201d can be a quicksand if you're not careful.<\/i><\/b><b><i><br \/><\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What I mean is with \"hustle\u201d you're basing your business on luck, instead of proven systems for success. And yes, <\/span><\/i><b><i>you will get \"more lucky\u201d by working harder, but you can only work so hard before getting burnt out.<\/i><\/b><b><i><br \/><\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Richard Branson and Warren Buffett don't out-hustle the competition \u2013 and you shouldn't be either.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Vaynerchuk has bragged about sacrificing sleep for work, he doesn't endorse it for everyone. In <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.garyvaynerchuk.com\/are-you-working-hard-enough\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a blog post<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, he better explained \"hustling\u201d: <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\"\u2018Hustling' doesn't mean waking up at the crack of dawn and exhausting yourself until you collapse. The truth is, <\/span><\/i><b><i>it's not about how much you sleep or don't sleep. It's what you do while you're awake that matters. <\/i><\/b><b><i><br \/><\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you work hard and smart while you're awake and give it all you've got in those hours, then you're hustling.\"<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Even the king of hustle understands there is nuance to the workaholic, hustle culture, but many miss that in the sound bytes and posters promoting it.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we cut through the noise and help you understand both why you should embrace work-life balance and how to to make it work.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/work-life-balance-dilbert-3.gif\" alt=\"dilbert work life balance\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h1><b>The Why and How to Invest in Work-Life Balance for You and Your Team<\/b><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over-work is a symptom of a bigger problem that goes well beyond any sound bytes from Gary V. Many jobs expect you to over-extend yourself or you'll be guilted for seeking work-life balance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often, managers are the ones pushing this attitude; under pressure to deliver numbers and set an example for your team, you get sucked into the workaholic hustle. \u00a0Then, just like the average employee, you're suffering, too. You've sacrificed your personal life and your team's for the hope of delivering for your company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But this effort, can be counterproductive. When you and your employees sacrifice too much time and energy, you've most likely<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> decreased<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> your productivity and output. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The quality of the hours you work beats brute forcing a larger quantity. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here's why you and your employees should reconsider the workaholic, hustle mindset, and how you can embrace a better work-life balance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/workaholic.jpg\" alt=\"work-life balance too much hustle\" width=\"599\" height=\"408\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h2><b>1. You can have too much \"Hustle\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, being overworked and over-sacrificing is often seen as a virtue, instead of a problem. Some places push their staff so hard that if you do not dedicate your life to your job, you're not considered a team player.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Gallup<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the average American full-time employee <a href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/175286\/hour-workweek-actually-longer-seven-hours.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">works 47 hours a week,<\/a>\u00a0and nearly 1-in-5 (18%) are working more than 60 hours. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Gallup-Working-Hours.png\" alt=\"work-life balance is a mystery to many according to Gallup\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, Gallup didn't include time spent on your phone, which turns out to be more than you may expect.<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pewinternet.org\/2014\/12\/30\/email-and-the-internet-are-the-dominant-technological-tools-in-american-workplaces\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pew Research<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">revealed that 35% of employees believe that internet, email, and cell phones have increased their workload.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Worker-Online-Time.png\" alt=\"work-life balance is often ruined by phones\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most people are working long hours, and performing tasks on-site as well as virtually. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This schedule prevents them from truly unplugging from work, resulting in long-term risks of burnout, and overall suffering of performance due to fatigue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Feeling productive isn't the same as being productive<\/strong>. Just because you spend a lot of time working doesn't mean you're producing great work.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Being overworked is counter-productive.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The more hours you work, the more work you produce, right? <em>Not really.<\/em> <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his article, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/free-exchange\/2014\/12\/09\/proof-that-you-should-get-a-life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Productivity of Working Hours<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Stanford University's John Pencavel explained that productivity tends to decrease when you work too much over an extended period of time.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He studied World War I data from the British Health of Munition Workers Committee (HMWC). During the war, Britain needed to increase worker productivity due to the high demand for weapons and ammunition.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After an investigation, HMWC actually advised military factories to <em>cut their workers' hours<\/em> and provide at least one day off.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pencavel discovered that when employees worked below 49 hours a week, their output corresponded with their time. But, if they worked over 50 hours, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/free-exchange\/2014\/12\/09\/proof-that-you-should-get-a-life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">their production started to decrease.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Factory-Hours.png\" alt=\"work-life balance matters even at war time\" width=\"600\" height=\"347\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you can see in the chart above, after a certain point, worker output plateaus; working 70 hours was just as productive as working 56 hours. Unfortunately, those who had a 70 hour per week schedule were wasting 14 hours of their time.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even more telling, workers who had a day off were more productive than those who had none.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Are you driving your team too hard?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asking your workers to work longer hours won't always help your company. Besides a drop in productivity, working long hours has long-term financial consequences like high absenteeism, turnover, and health insurance costs.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the report, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mentalhealthamerica.net\/sites\/default\/files\/Mind%20the%20Workplace%20-%20MHA%20Workplace%20Health%20Survey%202017%20FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mind the Workplace<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, chronic stress costs employers $500 billion in lost productivity a year.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is because stressed employees tend to miss more work. Thirty-five percent of those who missed work said that they took 3-5 days off a month. Another 38% missed six days or more. Fourteen percent missed 21-30 days!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Missed-Work-Days.png\" alt=\"work-life balance lacking will lead to more absenteeism\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, these burned-out employees had managers that weren't helping. Most of the employees felt unsupported in the workplace. This then led to ~65% of employees being distracted for 30+ hours a week because their co-workers were also stressed and frustrated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Manager-Opinion.png\" alt=\"work-life balance can lead to stress at work\" width=\"602\" height=\"214\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These employees leaving work are the result of being overworked in an environment that doesn't appreciate them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the goods news is that this trend can be reversed with the help of a thoughtful and caring manager. If your actions and words demonstrate to your employees that their work-life balance matters, their engagement and morale will increase.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/work-life-balance-cartoon.jpg\" alt=\"work-life balance can be achieved\" width=\"600\" height=\"622\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h2><b>2. Invest in Your Employee's Work-Life Balance<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many companies believe that the well-being of their employees doesn't matter. This leads to their choosing to ignore any issues with work-life balance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, this decision could be costing them thousands, or even millions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When managers prioritize the personal welfare of their workers, they tend to gain a significant return on their investment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are a few companies that have benefited from investing in their employee's work-life balance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/HP-logo.png\" alt=\"hp learned the value of work-life balance\" width=\"609\" height=\"121\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h3><b>Hewlett Packard's Four Day Work Week<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=2ivaYrlNv88C&amp;pg=PT30&amp;lpg=PT30&amp;dq=hewlett+packard+compressed+workweek+doubled+productivity&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=STPBCx2C-n&amp;sig=-P-wkWmlgcbmYLw9jxgfjwf_GgU&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjXmv-r_t7cAhVKQq0KHUczBIgQ6AEwDnoECAMQAQ#v=onepage&amp;q=hewlett%20packard%20compressed%20workweek%20doubled%20productivity&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">May 1997 Issue of Working Mother,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Hewlett-Packard (HP)'s Financial Services located in Colorado Springs, discovered a way to increase their employees' productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One day, a group of workers asked their managers if they could work four 10 hour work days instead of five 8 hour days. They argued that this plan would help relieve the workers' stress and boost workplace morale. Thus, improving their customer service.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The managers agreed. They set up an experiment with 63 out of 100 of workers trying the four day week. The results?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their productivity almost doubled! The test group completed 63 transactions a day, while the control group (those with the regular five work days) only completed 37 transactions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only did this experiment increase productivity, but it also cut the overtime hours in half. This went straight to HP's bottom line, leading to a savings of 50% in their budget. Best of all, it gave HP a new way to attract potential new hires.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is an example of why you should listen to your employees. Giving them more hours or days of rest could have a big impact on your business's overall performance, and an experiment can be the perfect way to see what works in your situation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/johnson-johnson-logo.jpg\" alt=\"work-life balance j and j\" width=\"601\" height=\"166\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h3><b>Johnson &amp; Johnson's Corporate Wellness Program<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the 1990's article, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/11346835_The_Long-Term_Impact_of_Johnson_Johnson%27s_Health_Wellness_Program_on_Employee_Health_Risks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the Long-Term Impact of Johnson &amp; Johnson's Health &amp; Wellness Program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, researchers calculated the financial benefits of the company opening wellness programs in 30 locations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The program's goal was to offer health, wellness, disability, and medical services to Johnson &amp; Johnson employees. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers followed 18,331 employees for five years to understand how they used the program. After the 3rd and 4th year, the company saved $8.5 million a year due to lower health care costs. That's $225 per worker.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These numbers are the result of workers using the wellness program before they were sick enough to go to a hospital. The article reported reductions per person in hospital inpatient use ($119.67), mental health visits ($70.69), and outpatient service use ($45.17). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The company only had an increase in emergency department use ($10.87 per person).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Johnson &amp; Johnson benefited greatly by providing health resources to their workers. When they stopped illnesses before they began, they saved millions in long-term healthcare costs. This came from understanding that providing the work-life balance that makes it safe and okay to see a doctor early pays off in the long term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Do you make it safe for your employees to practice healthy habits, and take the time necessary to seek preventative care?<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/patagonia-logo.jpeg\" alt=\"work-life balance patagonia\" width=\"597\" height=\"237\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h3><b>Patagonia's Child Care<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>At the outdoor clothing and gear company,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.patagonia.com\/home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patagonia<\/span><\/a>, w<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">omen make up 50% of its workforce.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a transparent article in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/3062792\/patagonias-ceo-explains-how-to-make-onsite-child-care-pay-for-itself\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fast Company<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, their CEO Rose Marcario explained how the company's on-site child care program has,\u00a0<em>\"paid for itself.\" <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Patagonia-Mother.jpg\" width=\"599\" height=\"337\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She claimed that since its creation, the program has regained 50% of its cost due to tax benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\"The federal government recognizes the value of on-site child care... and grants a qualified child-care program a yearly tax credit of $150,000. In addition, the government allows a company to deduct 35% of its unrecovered costs from its corporate tax bite.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To date, costs after revenues (tuition fees) for running Patagonia's child development center are approximately $1 million. With a yearly tax deduction of $150,000 and a second deduction of 35% of costs (35% of $1 million = $350,000), that's a total of $500,000 in costs recouped, or 50%.\"<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, that's not the only benefit Patagonia experienced. Their turnover costs (which includes recruiting, relocating, and training an employee) has also decreased by 30%. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\"In the United States, 20%\u201335% of working mothers who give birth never return to their previous job.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Patagonia, for the past five years, <strong>we've seen 100% of moms return to work<\/strong> after maternity leave...our turnover rate for parents who have children in the program has run 25% less than for our general employee population.<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\"<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the icing on the cake? They also found their employee engagement increased by 11%, which we know from <a href=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/gallup-state-of-the-american-workplace-study\/\">past Gallup studies<\/a> is worth millions of dollars to a company of Patagonia's size.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With all these benefits, Marcario concluded that they could prove they recovered nearly 91% of the cost of creating and maintaining the child-care program each year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given that half of Patagonia's employees are women, Marcario found a high upside opportunity to better engage and retain their staff by investing in their work-life balance. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/take-a-break.jpg\" alt=\"work-life balance includes breaks throughout the day\" width=\"551\" height=\"367\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h2><b>3. To Avoid Burnout, Work in Cycles<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our bodies don't have enough fuel to keep us at our best performance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/take-a-break-manager\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We need breaks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. We need to refresh.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That's why you should develop a healthy balance between stress and rest. Although stress can be painful, if managed wisely it can be very beneficial.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we covered with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/high-performing-leaders-secret\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">our article on high performing teams<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, stress can help you learn and grow. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you're stressed, your brain and body are being pushed to their limit. In response, your cells reproduce to keep up with the challenge. This causes you to develop new muscles and cells that are better than before.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if you're under too much stress without taking a break, your brain and body will start to fail. Your cells won't have enough energy or time to repair themselves, so you'll start to break down. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, this is exactly the situation in workplaces that create chronic, unyielding stress for their employees.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/stress-rest-growth.jpg\" alt=\"work-life balance is taking breaks to rest \" width=\"599\" height=\"333\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h3><b>Your grow when you <\/b><b><i>rest<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the book, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2MgaMSZ\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peak Performance by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the authors recommend that every long period of stress should be followed by a period of rest. Under rest, your body starts to recover and adapt, allowing you to push harder in the future. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a simple formula to describe this: <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong><i>Stress + Rest = Growth<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managers and employees alike, should make <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/take-a-break-manager\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">time to rest<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Athletes like Lebron James and Tom Brady are often under intense pressure, so they spend millions of dollars on self-care to extend their careers. We're not that different. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Rest comes in many forms<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rest is something you should invest in every day. Add short breaks throughout your day. Take a walk, go get a coffee, or catch up quick with a work friend. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, after long stretches of stress for a big project or deadline, schedule long-weekends or vacation days. The longer you push, the more rest you need. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whenever you feel exhausted, recognize it. A little rest now will prevent burnout later. Remember: an overworked employee isn't a productive employee, whether it's you or a team member.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Create a healthy work cycle of stress<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To create a better work-life balance, create a cycle of stress. Doing so will allow your body to adapt to changes and prevent long-term exhaustion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One way to do this is to try the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/productivity-101-a-primer-to-the-pomodoro-technique-1598992730\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pomodoro technique<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It breaks your day up into 25 minute intervals of intense focus on a task at work, followed by 5 minutes of rest.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/pomodoro-technique.png\" alt=\"work-life balance includes tactics like the pomodoro technique\" width=\"602\" height=\"316\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, 25 minutes is not a hard and fast rule; you can follow your ultradian rhythm by working up to <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.asianefficiency.com\/productivity\/ultradian-rhythms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">90 minutes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with 20 minute break. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proving the value of this work-break-work-break approach, the time-tracking app, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/desktime.com\/blog\/17-52-ratio-most-productive-people\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Desk Time<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, partnered with their parent-company,<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/draugiemgroup.com\/en\/press\/desktime-for-productivity-tracking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Draugiem Group<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, to find out how the top 10% of employees spent their time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They discovered that the most productive workers weren't working 8 hours straight every day. Instead, they were working in cycles of approximately 52 minutes of work, and then a 17 minute break.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This rhythm of stress and rest allowed them to accomplish more work than if they were pushing themselves to work straight through the day without breaks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does this mean you should work for exactly 52 minutes then a 17 minute break? No. Instead, develop your own work cycle that works for you. To help, try one of the many free Pomodoro tools that you can download and adjust the work and break lengths for to see what fits you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/long-weekend-hamster-wheel.jpg\" alt=\"work-life balance take mini vacations\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h3><b>Schedule Mini-Vacations to Recharge<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intentional breaks matter at both the daily and annual scale. For longer periods of intense work, consider scheduling mini-vacations or self-care sessions during your time off. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This idea is from Time Coach Elizabeth Grace Saunders.<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2013\/01\/how-to-allocate-your-time-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She writes in HBR<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that professionals should see their time more as an investment. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saunder's philosophy is that your time is an investment that decreases in value whenever it's wasted on unnecessary or counterproductive tasks. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2018\/05\/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-day-off\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She recommends<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that every other week you spend 1-3 days dedicated to having fun. Taking time to have mini-vacations local to you can really help you relax while managing your budget. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By leaving on Friday and coming back on Sunday,\u00a0you can separate yourself fully physically and mentally from your work. On Monday, you'll then come back recharged and ready to do your best work again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can't take weekend trips, then look for ways to relax after work. Go out with friends, exercise, or watch a movie with your friends or family. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also get creative with finding ways to recharge. For example, consider asking your employer if you can work remotely occasionally. This can help you avoid the stress of a long commute, and better control your cycle of stress without office distractions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever break you choose, make it a habit. That's how you ensure you work sustainably and create a healthy work-life balance that brings out your best. <\/span><\/p>\n<h1><b>Embrace work-life balance to avoid the hustle hamster wheel\u00a0<\/b><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you spend too much time at work, you start to decrease your productivity. There are only so many hours you can be at your best before your body starts to power down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember to take breaks. You need them so your body can recover and adapt. You can maintain your best performance at work by taking a short period of rest after intense periods of focus and hard work. And after big pushes, consider longer breaks, like a weekend getaway or full vacation to recharge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a manager, consider offering the same advice to your employees. Encourage them to take breaks, work flexible hours, and perform an optimal amount of quality work over an exhausting high quantity of work. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When your employees have enough time to have a personal life and recharge, they'll return to work more engaged and productive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work-life balance may be a foreign concept at many workplaces, but smart companies and leaders embrace the potential for better results by encouraging it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>What tactics do you use to have a healthy work-life balance?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large Banner-4-15-minutes\" id=\"Banner-4-15-minutes\"><a href=\"https:\/\/m.getlighthouse.com\/solo-study\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Banner_4_15_minutes-1024x390.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25011\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Banner_4_15_minutes-1024x390.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Banner_4_15_minutes-300x114.jpg 300w, https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Banner_4_15_minutes-768x292.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Banner_4_15_minutes-1536x584.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Banner_4_15_minutes.jpg 1640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Work-life balance may seem like a luxury in a world that hypes hustle. However, there is significant data you should know that shows work-life balance is the best option for long-term success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":3254,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-tos-for-managers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12999"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26415,"href":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12999\/revisions\/26415"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}