Is it ever possible to achieve that mythical work-life balance?
In reality, there’s no secret formula. No hidden tricks, no “life hack” to achieve the perfect work-life balance, or what experts are now calling, work-life "effectiveness." There will be times when everything is in balance and others when it simply can’t be. It’s all about finding what’s best for you, which might look different than what’s best for someone else.
Achieving work-life balance requires a personalized approach and often involves making small, meaningful adjustments. Here are a few practical tips that can help guide your journey:
- Set clear boundaries: Define specific work hours and personal time to ensure one doesn’t bleed into the other.
- Prioritize self-care: Make time for activities that recharge you, whether it’s exercise, reading, or simply relaxing.
- Learn to say 'no' professionally: Understand your limits and don’t be afraid to decline additional responsibilities that can lead to burnout.
- Delegate when possible: Share tasks at work and home to lighten your load and foster collaboration.
- Stay flexible: Be open to adjusting your routines as your needs and circumstances evolve.
Need some further inspiration while you navigate your balance? Consider these words of advice from a few wise women.
Work-life balance quotes from famous leaders
1. “Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if we’re scurrying to and from appointments and errands, we don’t have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own to-do list.”
―Michelle Obama, lawyer, author, and former First Lady of the United States
Read more: 32 Powerful & Empowering Michelle Obama Quotes
2. “Don’t confuse having a career with having a life.”
—Hillary Clinton, lawyer, author, senator, former Secretary of State, and former First Lady of the United States
3. “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”
—Mother Teresa, teacher, missionary
4. “We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in.”
—Arianna Huffington, businesswoman, author, and founder of HuffPost and Thrive Global
Work-life balance quotes on setting boundaries
5. “Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices.”
—Betsy Jacobson, businesswoman
6. “Self-care is, fundamentally, about bringing balance back to a life that has grown imbalanced from too many commitments or responsibilities.”
—Robyn L. Gobin, licensed clinical psychologist and author
7. “I've learned that you can't have everything and do everything at the same time.”
—Oprah Winfrey, media executive, talk show host, TV producer, and businesswoman
8. “Burnout is about resentment. Preventing it is about knowing yourself well enough to know what it is you're giving up that makes you resentful.”
—Marissa Mayer, cofounder of Lumi Labs and former CEO of Yahoo!
Work-life quotes on balance and prioritizing yourself
9. “You can't do a good job if your job is all you do.”
—Katie Thurmes, cofounder of Artifact Uprising
10. “I think taking vacations and turning off the phone and only doing emails or social media for a specific short amount of time helps with work-life balance. If I'm checking it all day I start to feel cuckoo-bird. So I just do it once or twice a day instead of a thousand. And then remembering that it doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter.”
—Maria Bamford, comedian and actress
11. “Striving for excellence motivates you. Striving for perfection is demoralizing.”
—Harriet Braiker, social and clinical Ph.D. psychologist, author
12. “When I think about work-life balance, I don’t imagine it as a perfect day where I got to spend the exact right amount of time having an impact at work and snuggling with my kids at home. I never achieve that. But over the course of a month, or a quarter, or a year, I try to make time for the people and experiences I value.”
—Jane Park, professional golfer
13. “Framing the issue of work-life balance—as if the two were dramatically opposed—practically ensures work will lose out. Who would ever choose work over life?”
—Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO and founder of Leanin.org
Work-life quotes on balance and slowing down
14. “For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.”
—Lily Tomlin, comedian, actress, writer, producer, and singer
15. “Happiness comes from living as you need to, as you want to. As your inner voice tells you to. Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be.”
—Shonda Rhimes, TV screenwriter, producer, and author
16. “I believe in a world where work feels like play, and while it's not always as easy as I'd like, I try to spend as much time there as possible.”
—Marney K. Makridakis, author
17. “The gift of balance in your life – May you find the balance of life, time for work but also time for play. Too much of one thing ends up creating stress that no one needs in their life.”
—Catherine Pulsifer, author
18. “Life will always get busy, make time to do the things you love.”
—Lailah Gifty Akita, founder of Smart Youth Volunteers Foundation
19. “The hardest thing to find in life is balance—especially, the more success you have, the more you look to the other side of the gate.”
—Celine Dion, singer
20. “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
—Dolly Parton, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, businesswoman, and actress
Read more: 25 Dolly Parton Quotes on Knowing Your Worth & Finding Success
21. "When you have balance in your life, work becomes an entirely different experience. There is a passion that moves you to a whole new level of fulfillment and gratitude, and that's when you can do your best, for yourself and for others."
—Cara Delevingne, model, actress
22. “It’s important to know when to take your time and not overspend and overdo things.”
—Zendaya, actress, singer, dancer, model, activist
