I started my career working at a top advertising agency in New York. I learned so much and was so fortunate to spend nearly two years there. But boy did it teach me nothing about work life balance. For two years, work consumed all my waking moments and often my sleeping ones too. For any of you who have worked in New York or in a high stress job, you know the feeling.
After moving to the Netherlands, I found the work life balance in Europe to be a big shock. I was so confused that people often wouldn’t roll into the office until 10am. And no one expected you to answer emails once you’d gone home.
Of course, that all sounds marvelous for the life side of things. But it also means that not nearly as much work gets done. Emails are often left unanswered and many employees will wait until the next day to finish something instead of staying late.
After living in the Netherlands for over a year, I feel like I’ve finally learned what true work life balance is. It’s not overworking yourself, but it’s also not letting all your work go for the sake of your personal life. Below check out the things I’ve learned about work life balance in Europe.
Xx, Kelsey
It’s important to unplug
I was in a habit of sending emails well into the night when living in New York. In the Netherlands, emails stop about 6pm. Unplugging after work and not answering emails will let you take a mental break. Your inbox will still be there in the morning when you’re refreshed. Plus nothing is going to get done between 10pm and 6am. Try and set a hard stop for yourself, even if it’s later in the evening. It’ll help you disconnect from the day.
Get an outside hobby
The Dutch love their after-work activities. They’re all part of soccer clubs or take classes to learn a new skill. Finding something to do after work helps in multiple ways. It enriches your life and ensures that you don’t feel like all your days waste away at the office. Just make sure it’s clear to your boss that you’ve got an important regular commitment, so you don’t end up forced to cancel every time.
Take real vacations
I remember one of my first trips after starting work in Europe. A colleague texted me asking where a file was and apologised profusely for bothering me on my holiday. I was so used to checking emails and answering texts on vacation that it took time to learn to take real time off. It can be so tempting to just “check in” to make sure things aren’t falling apart. But here’s the truth: Things will be fine without you for a few days. And if something does go wrong, everyone else can handle it until you get back.
Change your mindset
This is the one I still struggle with the most. The Dutch have a very relaxed mindset when it comes to work. They don’t believe in getting super stressed over something, especially if you’ll still be able to work on it tomorrow. Sometimes this mindset can be too extreme, and it’s hard to get things done. But you can learn from the Dutch by reminding yourself every once in a while that work is just work. It’ll still be there tomorrow.
