Work-life balance is defined as the ability to prioritize between work and personal life

Work-life balance is defined as the ability to prioritize between work and personal life to achieve what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes as total worker health. It is simply balancing a career with leisurely and pleasure-inducing activities, such as exercising, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying the things that make one happiest (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). However, for students who also work, work-life balance is more complicated. Students who work face a more difficult time managing school, family, and work while attempting to be successful in every setting.
Statistics show that 40% of U.S. adults report feeling lonely, 62% of U.S. college students report “overwhelming anxiety,” and 88% of U.S. employees report they lack passion for their work. According to Gallup’s World Poll, 63% of the global workforce is “checked out” and “sleepwalking through their workday.” The Wall Street Journal notes that more than half of American workers are less content with their jobs than they were thirty years ago in nearly every individual measure—from wages and retirement plans to vacation policies and commutes.

There is a large discrepancy between what we want from work and our actual work experience—this disconnect creates unhappy workers. And not surprisingly, unhappy workers act out their unhappiness at work.

Write an essay (at least 4 paragraphs) providing your perspective of the importance of work-life balance. Have you achieved it in your life? In your essay, discuss how you balance loneliness and anxiety. Also, discuss whether you have a passion for work or for school. If you feel that your work and life are not balanced, what are you doing to create a balance?