What do you do if your international career is causing work-life imbalance?

When in doubt remember that your family and health come first. Work is a means to enable your quality of life along with helping others in the workplace. Your work should not be your life even though some foreign or toxic work cultures believe work and life are one and the same. This will be something that you will need to rebalance where necessary and also come to an understanding with your co-workers and household to ensure things are back on track. Another thing to keep in mind is that you co-workers are good acquaintances but not necessarily your friends when reviewing your priorities.

A hack I usually use is to conduct a regular "priority audit" to assess what truly matters to me and where I may need to make adjustments to achieve a better work-life balance. This involves taking intentional time to reflect on various aspects of my life, including personal goals, relationships, and well-being. By identifying areas that have been neglected or consuming excessive time and energy, I gain clarity on where I need to reallocate my focus and efforts. This process allows me to rebalance my commitments, ensuring that my career aspirations are harmoniously aligned with other essential aspects of my life.

One of the hardest things while working abroad is to make sure that you aren’t working two 8-hour days, the one at the home office and the one in your current time zone. Make sure to set clear boundaries as to when you can be “on-the-clock” remind both offices that you are splitting time and maybe make a compromise to flex your working hours to start the day later or earlier to make sure you don’t become burned out taking conference calls on a Friday night in your current time zone.

An insightful insight to remember is the importance of setting boundaries to maintain a healthy work-life balance, particularly in the context of working abroad where the distinction between professional duties and personal time can easily become blurred. One strategy I often utilize is to proactively communicate my availability to colleagues and supervisors, ensuring clarity on when I'm actively engaged in work-related tasks and when I'm off-duty.

Embracing flexibility indeed holds the key to achieving a harmonious work-life balance. One perspective I find crucial is recognizing that flexibility is not just about adapting to external circumstances but also about fostering an adaptive mindset and approach to work. A recommendation I often advocate for is proactively exploring opportunities to tailor your work schedule to better align with your personal life demands. This might involve negotiating with your employer for a flexible schedule that accommodates time differences or family commitments. By initiating these conversations and proposing viable solutions, you not only advocate for your well-being but also foster a culture of mutual respect and understanding in the workplace.

In my own experience, I can share three activities that help me a lot to disconnect and have a good work-life balance. 1) Meet up with friends: make the most of the connections outside work and exchange working experiences to learn more from different experiences. 2) Engage with the neighbourhood either by taking part in organized activities or by volunteering. Contributing to the well-being of the community while cultivating your passions will improve your sense of belonging as well as your self-esteem. 3) Try to exercise regularly: "mens sana in corpore sano" (Iuvenalis). I do not like to train alone so I seek out other mates/clubs to practice sports. This helps me with keeping connections and creating new ones.

At the last resort seek support from a mental health professional depending on the situation. Make sure to keep this discreet as mental health support may be frowned upon or used against you in a foreign work environment.