Look for harmony, not balance

“The idea of work/life balance is very deceiving,” explains Thomas. “There are very few things in life that are actually balanced – even the weather; we have different seasons for a reason.” She explains that it’s not just about having the ‘right’ balance between work and leisure; rather, it’s about recognising when certain things need to take priority. “We’ll often chastise ourselves and think of ourselves as lazy, not taking stock of everything we’re doing because we always want to move onto the next thing. Rest isn’t just about falling into bed at the end of a stressful day because you’re so exhausted after work, socialising and family commitments, it’s about having time to switch off without shaming ourselves for being lazy. Sometimes you’ll need more of this, sometimes you need less – that’s why it’s better to think about it as being harmonious rather than balanced.”

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