The Straightforward Solution to Work-Life Balance in 2025

In this age of WFH and hybrid workplaces, we still struggle with the oft quoted 'work life balance'. Somehow, this mythical state of being must be the answer to balancing the demands and stress of the work day with our personal lives. But is the answer easier than we think?

Never lose sight of your work life balance

So I was told! For as long as we can remember, 'proper' work life balance has been the mantra to strive towards if one wanted to survive the rigors of the workplace for any appreciable amount of time. Post pandemic, with the transformational shift to WFH and hybrid work arrangements, this balance remains ever elusive. Perhaps it is even harder to achieve true work life balance now, if your office is also your home. After all, my commute used to be a line in the sand when my work day consciously ended. It's easier said than done to fully disconnect from work when you're work from home.

Perhaps we're looking at it the wrong way. The concept of work life balance implies an on-off switch, that 'work' is the energy sapping yin to the beautiful energetic yang of 'life'. 

Rather than looking at things in binary terms, we should instead strive to manage our energy flow throughout the day. We can and should recognize that maintaining our energy levels even during 'work time' contributes to our overall wellbeing.

Recognizing your energy needs

We all know this intuitively. Staying alert in a sales meeting requires a different type of energy compared to sweating it out at the gym. There are three main types of energy that we all need to manage.

1. Physical energy. Perhaps the most straightforward, we need physical energy for tasks related to strength and movement. We recognize a lack of physical energy easily, simply by the feeling of tiredness. Get your body moving by standing and walking at regular intervals. Actively make time in your day to exercise regularly to maintain your metabolism levels.

2. Mental energy. We expend mental energy when formulating a document, breaking down complex data or finding trends in the numbers. You may be sitting comfortable physically, but your brain could very well be mentally drained. Work in controlled bursts, leveraging on riding your train of thought when you're in the 'zone' but also mandating proper breaks between sprints. Your brain is as much a muscle as any other, so take good care of it.

3. Emotional energy. Humans are social creatures. We thrive on interactions and connecting with fellow colleagues to generate emotional energy. Conversely, a toxic work environment or bad relationships has the opposite effect. Don't be afraid to cut off relationships which bring you negativity, fear and paranoia. Perhaps the most challenging, because we need to find a way to maintain professional working relationships while distancing from emotional energy sapping personal interactions!

Managing your ebb and flow

Naturally, we can't expect our physical, mental and emotional energy to stay high throughout the day. Get comfortable with the ups and downs, while focusing on conscious action when you recognize an energy dip. For example, if you feel your mental energy waning, turn to a colleague for a light hearted chat, or take a break and go for a short stroll outside. Often, simply the act of disconnecting from the energy sapping activity is enough for your levels to rebound.

Also recognize that your colleagues experience the same ebb and flow in their energy levels. Empathy and mutual support go a long way in building a harmonious work environment, whether remote or physical.

A booster for physical and mental energy

Sometimes, we don't have the luxury to stop and take a break. Used properly, supplements like caffeine can support you with that extra push to meet your goals. However, calibrated use is essential. Energy drinks and coffee often come with jitters and the inevitable crash, due to suddenly ingesting high doses of caffeine and sugar. In any case, the caffeine in drinks and coffee only kicks in 30 to 60 minutes later, which may not be ideal.

STIM is the world's first dissolvable energy strip which is fast, convenient and tastes great. Simply place one strip on your inner cheek for a controlled physical and mental energy boost to get you over the line. As STIM is absorbed directly in your mouth, it works 4.8x faster than drinks or coffee which needs to pass through your tummy first.

STIM is also the world's first energy strip with time release caffeine, which gives a smoother, sustained boost and avoids jitters and crashes. 

After all, we all need a little help sometimes.