Debunking the Work-Life-Balance Myth With Divine Smith

7/29/2019 | By Kyle Edriel Tomagan

 

What Does Living A "Flexible Life" mean To You?

Work-life balance is an elusive term often associated with those who are perceived to do it all and do it well. You know the type, the person who works 14 hours a day, meet their friends on weekdays, clock 6 hours a week at the gym, frequently travel to exotic locations. Of course, this doesn't apply to the vast majority, there are very few who can accomplish the perfect balance and to those who do—we salute you!

For the rest of us, this is a perfect balancing act that will never be accomplished. Of course, there is nothing wrong with trying to have it all as long as you don’t become disillusioned with the life you are living.

Today, many countries and companies seek to improve employee satisfaction by promising work-life balance and flexibility for their workers, and an important factor when making employment decisions. The term flexible hours, flexible pay, flexible approaches are all brandished about as some sort of company ethos, often this will not be the case.

There is an inherent problem with work-life balance because it implies that life is separate from work and that a fulfilling existence can only be achieved when one has found the optimum balance between the two. Instead of seeing work and life as separate entities, what professionals should ideally be striving for is a lifestyle that grants people the necessary flexibility to prioritize the different aspects of life such as family, friends, hobbies, wellness, and work while being on the move.

This view involves taking a cohesive approach to all facets of life, taking the joy of what you do in at out of work and recognizing that all aspects of life are necessary to live life to the fullest. KMC has recently sat down with Divine Maitland-Smith, an on-the-go TV personality, DJ, and model among other things to discuss her approach to loving one’s work, effective time and resource management.

Achieving the Flexible Life By Embracing Your Work

For Divine Maitland-Smith, one of the defining characteristics of living the flexible life is working in a manner that includes her passions and hobbies, this helps Divine to alleviate stress and minimize the fatigue that comes with doing work, as the classic saying goes, “do what you love and you don’t have to work a day in your life.”

On a more technical note, learning to “own” the position that each professional possesses ultimately helps them live longer. A study conducted by Dr. Sharon Stoker of Tel Aviv University showed that disenchanted, burnt-out employees got heart disease at a significantly higher 79% clip than those that enjoyed their job.

So are all employees expected to love their job? Not necessarily, but, learning to embrace the position that each worker has is the first step towards achieving a flexible life.

Flexible workspaces can be a key factor in helping people embrace the different components of their multifaceted life. Features such as technology help you bridge the gap between work life and personal. Comfortable well-designed spaces, make you feel at ease in the office, yoga rooms and wellness centers make it easier to incorporate mindfulness and wellness into your life. Music and entertainment allow you to extend your workspace beyond just your work colleagues. These are just some of the features of KMC spaces which can aid you in being more flexible in your approach to both work and life.

For more on Divine Smith and her adaptable approach to work and life, visit KMC’s #FlexibleLife page to learn more about the campaign and how it will help you achieve a flexible life as well.