Powerful quotes to put your work-life balance in perspective

Nowadays, work-life balance plays a crucial role in a good organisational culture. As the boundaries between work and personal life continue to blur, a healthy work-life balance is essential for employee satisfaction and retention.

But when working life can get so busy, it’s easy to neglect personal wellbeing. Long hours, demanding deadlines and constant connectivity can lead to stress and burnout if not managed properly.

Quotes about work-life balance can encourage employees to prioritise their wellbeing and find harmony between their professional and personal lives. This article will share the most inspirational quotes to promote a healthy work-life balance for employees.

What is work-life balance?

For employees, work-life balance is all about finding the right mix between their job and personal life. It’s making sure they have enough time and energy for both work and the things they enjoy outside of work, like spending time with family and friends, hobbies, or just generally taking care of themselves.

By now, we all know that company culture is important, and work-life balance is a significant part of that – no matter your culture type or the core values your company goes by. As employees now seek out work-life balance over salary, organisations must incorporate it into their culture, whether they’re building it from scratch or changing their existing culture. 

Work-life balance is important to employees because it gives them time to share more evenly between work and their personal life, reducing stress and burnout and leading to better mental and physical health. It also boosts productivity, as employees who are rested and happy tend to be more focused and efficient at work. 30% of employees say they perform at the bare minimum due to an imbalance, so addressing work-life balance is essential for maintaining a motivated and high-performing team.

14 inspirational work-life balance quotes

While company culture quotes remind us of the significance of organisational culture in the workplace, work-life balance quotes remind us of effectively balancing our work and personal lives. We’ve chosen 14 quotes that highlight the importance of a healthy work-life balance.

1. “The key to a successful work-life balance is to not be afraid to fail at it. You will drop the ball on something; the trick is knowing which balls are made of rubber and which are made of glass.” – Nora Roberts

Meaning: This quote emphasises that achieving a successful work-life balance involves accepting that perfection isn’t always possible and that mistakes will happen. Meanwhile, the metaphor of “balls made of rubber and glass” illustrates that not all tasks or responsibilities are equally important.

Rubber balls are tasks that can bounce back if neglected temporarily, such as deadlines. If these are missed or delayed, they won’t have a lasting impact and you can recover. On the other hand, glass balls are critical responsibilities, like family time, personal health or key relationships. If ignored, the impact can be significant and lasting.

2. “You can’t do a good job if your job is all you do.” – Katie Thurmes

Meaning: This means that to perform well at work, you need a balanced life that includes time outside work. If work is your sole focus and takes all your time and energy, it can lead to burnout. Therefore, this quote further affirms the point that prioritising work-life balance helps maintain long term productivity, creativity and overall wellbeing.

For example, employees with full schedule flexibility reported 29% higher productivity, while 53% reported a better ability to focus than those without. This suggests that when employees have control over their schedules and can manage their time effectively, they can enhance their productivity and experience greater job satisfaction.

3. “Self-care is, fundamentally, about bringing balance back to a life that has grown imbalanced from too many commitments or responsibilities.” – Robyn L Gobin

Meaning: Self-care is crucial for restoring balance when life becomes skewed due to overwhelming commitments or responsibilities. Your wellbeing can suffer when you’re juggling too many tasks or dealing with excessive stress. Self-care involves prioritising rest, relaxation and activities you enjoy.

A quarter (24%) of workers admit that it’s difficult to relax in their own time, while 26% say their job affects their commitments – highlighting how work-related stress can intrude on your personal life. Engaging in regular self-care practices, like setting boundaries, taking breaks, and making time for hobbies can help mitigate these issues.

4. “The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey

Meaning: Managing your time shouldn’t be about following a list of tasks on your schedule, but about organising your time around what matters to you. Instead of letting your schedule dictate your priorities, you should identify your most important goals and values and make sure those are reflected in your daily activities. 

This way, you can ensure that essential tasks and commitments are addressed first, helping you to focus on what’s most important, rather than reacting to the immediate demands of your schedule.

5. “Balance is not something you find; it’s something you create.” – Jana Kingsford

Meaning: Put simply, this means that achieving work-life balance isn’t about stumbling upon it accidentally. Instead, it’s a deliberate process that you actively shape through your choices and actions. It suggests that balance isn’t something you discover, but an ongoing effort that requires intentional action and planning.

This involves making conscious decisions about how to allocate your time and energy, prioritising your values and managing your responsibilities. Setting boundaries, making relevant adjustments, and working towards aligning actions with goals and wellbeing are also part of the process.

6. “Don’t confuse having a career with having a life.” – Hillary Clinton

Meaning: Having a successful career doesn’t automatically equal a fulfilling and balanced life, so it’s important to distinguish between professional achievements and personal wellbeing. 

The issue with focusing solely on your career is that it can lead you to neglect other aspects of life, such as relationships, health and personal interests. Therefore, this quote can serve as a reminder to prioritise a well-rounded life that includes not just professional success, but also personal happiness and meaningful connections. It’s about taking a step back and evaluating whether you’re giving enough attention to the things that matter outside of work.

7. “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” – Dolly Parton

Meaning: Working 9 to 5 may have been the way to make a living in the 80s, but it isn’t anymore. As the legendary country singer says, you shouldn’t spend so much time at work that you forget about your personal life.

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle, constantly chasing deadlines and career goals. However, for many of us, true fulfilment comes from balancing professional success with personal joy and meaningful relationships. In other words, your job is just one part of your life, not the whole of it.

8. “Time with friends and family is as important as times at work. Getting that out of balance is a path towards unhappiness.” – Stephen Gillett

Meaning: Projects and deadlines may be important in the working world, but you shouldn’t neglect the time you spend with your friends and family. If you do, you risk missing out on purposeful connections and experiences. 

Over time, this can lead to strained relationships, burnout, and a sense of unfulfillment in certain areas of life. Remember that while work is important, the moments you share with loved ones are irreplaceable and play a crucial part in your overall happiness.

9. “Your children only get one childhood. Make it memorable.” – Regina Brett

Meaning: This is specifically for busy working parents, emphasising the importance of being present in your children’s lives. As many parents will agree, childhood is a fleeting period, and once it’s gone, it can’t be relived. Work and career responsibilities shouldn’t overshadow the precious moments you share with your kids.

Putting work ahead of your personal life with your children can also lead to feelings of guilt. According to a survey by AA Driving School, one in five working mothers feel “parent guilt” every day, primarily because of the need to work additional hours (55% of mothers reported doing so) to support their families. Meanwhile, over half of Millennial fathers say they want to move to a job that allows them to spend more time with their children.

10. “Consistently working late is not necessarily a sign of a hard worker, but rather the inability to use time wisely.” – Victor Bretting

Meaning: A key part of maintaining a healthy work-life balance is time management. If you regularly work late, it might be a sign that you’re not managing your time effectively during regular work hours. It might seem like dedication, but it can actually imply an inability to prioritise tasks effectively.

As many as 97% of UK employees take additional work home and fail to leave work on time. This suggests that many workers are putting in extra hours, often at the expense of their personal lives. Instead of overextending yourself, focusing on better time management and setting clear boundaries can help you work more efficiently, avoid unnecessary overtime, and maintain a better work-life balance.

11. “You can’t be considered successful in your business if your home life is in shambles.” – Zig Ziglar

Meaning: True success isn’t just about achieving goals or excelling in your career – it’s also about having a healthy and fulfilling personal life. If your home life is falling apart due to neglect, stress or lack of attention, then your business success is incomplete.

The term “workaholic” can be used here to describe someone who is so consumed by work that they ignore their personal life, thus leading to issues at home. According to research by the University of North Carolina, the divorce rate is 40% higher for marriages where at least one spouse is a workaholic. This highlights the serious consequences of being imbalanced, where putting work over personal relationships can lead to significant strain and even the breakdown of marriages.

12. “No one on his deathbed ever said ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office.” – Unknown

Meaning: While the origin of this quote isn’t fully known, it’s often associated with US Senator Paul Tsongas and rabbi author Harold Kushner. 

As cliche as it might sound, life is short, and when people reflect on their lives so far, they rarely regret choosing time with loved ones, personal passions or life’s simple pleasures over working more. Ultimately, this quote is a reminder that moments spent with family and friends and personal experiences create more significant memories to look back on than work does.

13. “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler

Meaning: People often say that time flies, and it truly feels that way sometimes. The key takeaway from this quote is that, despite how quickly time seems to pass, you have the power to control how you spend it.

This is where effective time management comes into play again. By making conscious choices about how you allocate your time – balancing work, personal life and self-care – you can steer your life in a direction that aligns with your goals and values. This perspective affirms the importance of actively managing your time, rather than letting it slip away by spending it all on work.

14. “Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.”

Meaning: A significant part of good self-care is getting enough rest. It’s important to take time to recharge when you’re feeling exhausted or overwhelmed. By giving yourself the chance to rest and rejuvenate, you can allow your body and mind to recover and regain strength. This restorative period is crucial for maintaining wellbeing and ensuring that you return to your tasks with renewed energy and clarity.

Employees suffering from chronic sleep disruption are 171% more likely to call in sick, which causes widespread disruption to businesses. Even if tired employees come to work, their performance is often compromised, leading to decreased productivity and increased errors.

Conclusion

Life gets busy, especially at work, so it’s easy to lose sight of personal wellbeing when deadlines and important projects are looming over you. The demands of a hectic schedule can lead to neglecting self-care, family time and personal interests.

That’s why work-life balance quotes like the ones above serve as reminders to prioritise wellbeing and avoid getting lost in the constant rush of work. These quotes can inspire employees to take a step back, reassess their priorities, and find ways to incorporate self-care and personal time into their busy schedules.