“Take a Break” – Eliza Hamilton

Work-Life Balance is a term that I hear a lot in my office. I have had hours of conversations on that topic alone, and never does it begin or end with someone saying, “I have too much.” Work-life balance is a generally new term for an age-old notion – the desire to work hard when you’re at work, but being able to still have time for yourself and your family.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American workday for a full-time employee is 8.89 hours. We spend at least half of our waking hours working, whether that be in the traditional office setting, or “ambient” work such as fielding emails or work related calls and texts before or after hours. Fact is, most of us feel as though we are “always on” and can struggle to find ways to carve a bit more time for ourselves out of our days.

I read an article the other day that really resonated with me. It discussed the importance of taking a lunch break. I don’t mean the 10-15 minute one next to the microwave, or the classic sandwich-in-front-of-computer-monitor, or lunches with colleagues in which the topic is still about work. I mean a true, completely unplugged from work for at least 30 minutes, break. The author discusses how some of her colleagues would look longingly after her as she leaves for her break but would never join when invited. They would sometimes make comments that suggested what she was doing was abnormal, or that they themselves didn’t have the option to take a break. Examples would be, “It must be nice to be able to walk away” or “What’s the weather like outside? I haven’t been outside yet today.”

As our industry and society becomes increasingly optimized and automated, I have found that many of the individuals I consult with feel as though their positions are the same way. Many people feel as though they don’t have the power or agency to set their schedules the way they would like to see them, and are desperately searching to gain some time back for themselves. This has two effects. First, many feel as though they are in a culture in which they need to justify every move they make and how they spend their time. As seen by the comments listed above. Second, the phrase “work-life balance” is at the top of almost everyone’s wish list.

The history behind the standard American workday/week is an interesting one. The eight hour work day was actually established in 1926 when Ford Motor issued that their employees would work a five-day, 40-hour workweek, as opposed to the standard 12-14 hour workday other industrial workers faced. Ford wrote in a statement, “It is high time to rid ourselves of the notion that leisure for workmen is either lost time or a class privilege.” It wasn’t until 1938 that political pressure increased to the point that Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which limited the workweek to 44 hours, or 8.8 hours per day. On June 26^th, 1940 Congress amended the Fair Labor Standards Act to further limit the workweek to 40 hours. The law went into effect on October 24^th of that year. The part that I find intriguing about this is twofold. First, a law that was passed nearly 80 years ago is still the standard by which we operate today. Second, that standard workweek was based off of Industrial Age, not the Information Age. The type of work Americans find themselves employed in has shifted significantly towards the professional services, and has shifted even more within professional services. With the advent of certain technologies like the fax machine, mobile phones, laptop computers, the societal expectation of accessibility and speed of response has drastically changed. The workforce is expected to be more agile, competent, committed, and available. No wonder everyone feels on the brink of burning out. The construct of a 40-hour week was designed for a workforce performing physical labor, not a workforce practicing mental gymnastics.

So, how can we make this information useful and give you a little bit more balance in your work life? Don’t feel bad taking the break. Do it. Put the laptop, cell phone, pencil down, step away from your desk, and take a break. You’ve earned it. The work will still be there when you come back, I promise. Studies have shown that during our eight hour workday, we are only productive for about three hours of them. A huge part of that is because no person can be in the zone for eight hours straight. We’re all human, and we all need some time to hit the restart button.

I can imagine the reservations with this manifesto. “What if my boss thinks I’m not a hard worker if I’m not at my desk?” Three things on that:

1. I doubt that’s going to be their perception, and so long as you’re not abusing your break time you have nothing to worry about.
2. If you’re still really concerned about it, have a conversation to lay out expectations with your manager/supervisor. Maybe even invite them to join you for lunch. By letting others know your boundaries and routines when it comes to the workplace, it allows them (and you) to manage expectations and reduce any sort of unwanted optics.
3. Studies show that individuals who take a lunch break are happier, less stressed, and more productive than their counterparts that don’t. Don’t believe me? Here are three different articles out of the thousands out there that have studied this topic.
   1. Forbes: New Study Shows Correlation Between Employee Engagement And the Long-Lost Lunch Break
   2. People Management: Why taking a lunch break is so vital for your staff
   3. NPR, The Salt: We’re Not Taking Enough Lunch Breaks. Why that’s Bad For Business

As an employee of an organization, there is only so much you can do to create a better work-life balance for yourself. A lot of the items that are discussed regarding improving work-life balance, like remote working, are policies that need to be put in place and practiced by the founders or leaders of an organization. However, a small thing that is within your power is to take a lunch break, step away from your desk for a 30 minute walk, and be kind to your mind and body. We are all human, so don’t be afraid to be one. 🙂