Abstract
Now, more than ever before, it is important to intentionally create and cultivate healthy work environments to enhance professional well-being within the highly dynamic and demanding field of healthcare. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace and personal demands have increased. In addition, the prevalence of mental health challenges and symptoms have also increased (Ayar et al., 2022; Chutiyami et al., 2022). One common strategy to achieve healthy work environments and professional well-being centers on work-life balance. Work-life balance simply means striking a healthy balance in prioritizing your personal and professional life. The concept of work-life balance is often depicted as a perfectly balanced scale and in most cases true balance is not realistic or achievable (Gragnano et al., 2020). Instead, we invite individuals to consider the concept of work-life balance as more similar to a sensible budget. In this model, items (e.g., tasks, to-dos, & commitments) are assigned and allocated based on the individual's current needs and resources. Additionally, the authors propose that redefining work-life balance in terms of work-life harmony can be useful. The concept of work-life harmony refers to a state where an individual can achieve both professional and personal goals, while acknowledging that neither set of goals may be equally balanced. This novel view of work-life balance emphasizes the dynamic nature of an individual's work and personal life and lends itself to a more practical approach to cultivating professional well-being. Greater work-life harmony is positively associated with more employee motivation and productivity in the workplace. Other notable benefits may include: improved retention rates, job satisfaction, efficiency, higher levels of engagement, lower absenteeism or sick leave, and organizational commitment (Žnidaršič & Bernik, 2021; Rodríguez-Sánchez et al., 2020). In this presentation, there will be a discussion of the significance of work-life balance and practical strategies to realize work-life harmony. Factors influencing work-life balance and barriers to success are also outlined including key issues with time management, stress, and burnout. Self-compassion, radical acceptance, and a gratitude practice are also explored as possible mediators to the highly stressful healthcare environment. The goal of this presentation is to inform and inspire the cultivation of Work-Life Harmony for a more fulfilling personal and professional experience, while fostering health and well-being for overburdened Healthcare Professionals.
Notes
References:
Ayar, D., Karaman, M. A., & Karaman, R. (2022). Work-Life balance and mental health needs of health professionals during Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 20(1), 639–655. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00717-6
Chutiyami, M., Cheong, A., Salihu, D., Bello, U. M., Ndwiga, D., Maharaj, R., Naidoo, K., Kolo, M. A., Jacob, P., Chhina, N., Ku, T. K., Devar, L., Pratitha, P., & Kannan, P.(2022). COVID-19 pandemic and overall mental health of healthcare professionals globally: A meta-review of systematic reviews. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 804525. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.804525
Gragnano, A., Simbula, S., & Miglioretti, M. (2020). Work-Life balance: Weighing the importance of work-family and work-health balance. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(3), 907. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030907
Rodríguez-Sánchez, J. L., González-Torres, T., Montero-Navarro, A., & Gallego-Losada, R. (2020). Investing time and resources for work-life balance: The effect on talent retention. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(6), 1920. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17061920
Žnidaršič, J., & Bernik, M. (2021). Impact of work-family balance results on employee work engagement within the organization: The case of Slovenia. PloS one, 16(1), e0245078. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245078
Sigma Membership
Epsilon
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Well-being, Work-Life Harmony, Work-Life Balance
Recommended Citation
Horton, Abby Grammer and Curington, Allison M., "Beyond the Basics: Next Steps to Achieve Work-Life Harmony for Healthcare Professionals" (2025). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 7.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2023/presentations_2023/7
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Austin, Texas, USA and Virtual
Conference Year
2023
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-10-14
Beyond the Basics: Next Steps to Achieve Work-Life Harmony for Healthcare Professionals
Austin, Texas, USA and Virtual
Now, more than ever before, it is important to intentionally create and cultivate healthy work environments to enhance professional well-being within the highly dynamic and demanding field of healthcare. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace and personal demands have increased. In addition, the prevalence of mental health challenges and symptoms have also increased (Ayar et al., 2022; Chutiyami et al., 2022). One common strategy to achieve healthy work environments and professional well-being centers on work-life balance. Work-life balance simply means striking a healthy balance in prioritizing your personal and professional life. The concept of work-life balance is often depicted as a perfectly balanced scale and in most cases true balance is not realistic or achievable (Gragnano et al., 2020). Instead, we invite individuals to consider the concept of work-life balance as more similar to a sensible budget. In this model, items (e.g., tasks, to-dos, & commitments) are assigned and allocated based on the individual's current needs and resources. Additionally, the authors propose that redefining work-life balance in terms of work-life harmony can be useful. The concept of work-life harmony refers to a state where an individual can achieve both professional and personal goals, while acknowledging that neither set of goals may be equally balanced. This novel view of work-life balance emphasizes the dynamic nature of an individual's work and personal life and lends itself to a more practical approach to cultivating professional well-being. Greater work-life harmony is positively associated with more employee motivation and productivity in the workplace. Other notable benefits may include: improved retention rates, job satisfaction, efficiency, higher levels of engagement, lower absenteeism or sick leave, and organizational commitment (Žnidaršič & Bernik, 2021; Rodríguez-Sánchez et al., 2020). In this presentation, there will be a discussion of the significance of work-life balance and practical strategies to realize work-life harmony. Factors influencing work-life balance and barriers to success are also outlined including key issues with time management, stress, and burnout. Self-compassion, radical acceptance, and a gratitude practice are also explored as possible mediators to the highly stressful healthcare environment. The goal of this presentation is to inform and inspire the cultivation of Work-Life Harmony for a more fulfilling personal and professional experience, while fostering health and well-being for overburdened Healthcare Professionals.
Description
Summary: The concept of work-life balance is often depicted as a perfectly balanced scale, and in most cases true balance is not realistic or achievable. Learn more about how to intentionally cultivate work-life balance for a more fulfilling personal and professional experience, while fostering health and well-being.