3 Ways to Balance Work and Relationship…When Work is Your Passion

Jennifer feels torn and guilty. For the first time in her life, she’s doing work that she absolutely loves. She’s had several jobs in the past that merely paid the bills. Now, however, she looks forward to going into the office every day. It’s always stimulating and rewarding.

Some days, she is disappointed when 5 pm rolls around. That’s when the guilt pours in.

While Jennifer adores her work, she also adores her family. Her children are teenagers and pretty much take care of themselves, but she feels a distance growing between herself and them. It’s getting more and more difficult to keep up with what’s new in their lives and that didn’t used to happen.

What’s even more troubling is the distance she feels growing in her marriage. She worries that the time, energy and attention she devotes to her work is having a detrimental effect on her relationship with her husband. Sometimes, as she excitedly shares with him about one of her work projects, he seems to be bored and not really listening. He rarely talks about his job except to complain about his boss. Other times, when Jennifer calls home to say she’s staying late at the office, she can hear the irritation in his voice.

She doesn’t want to lose either her fabulous job or her loving relationship with her husband and children. Most of the time, Jennifer feels like she has to short-change one or the other and that is stressful and upsetting.

The inner conflict can be huge!

When you work at a job you love and you also want to keep your relationship healthy and connected, you might feel just as torn as Jennifer does. Finding balance is the goal and it may not seem easy to come by.

The demands of life can be stressful and you might even believe that, in order to have success in one area of your life, you’ve got to neglect the other areas.

Please note: There is a difference between being passionate about your job and being a workaholic. When work is an excuse to avoid your partner or a tense situation at home, pay attention. Acknowledge it if you feel compelled to work long hours or spend little time with your partner. Get curious about why this is and decide what you will do about it.

Re-frame

We don’t believe that you have to neglect any aspect of your life and certainly not your own well-being either!

If you are seeking balance between