Understanding work-life balance through existentialism

Abstract

This paper examines the dilemma of work-life balance and how we can make sense of the choices people make in the quest for a happy and meaningful life. The relationship between work and non-work activities is complex especially today as devoting oneself to work seems to have become the path to a meaningful life for many people. One way to make sense of how people navigate their lives is through Existential philosophy. Existential concepts including death, contingency, situatedness, choice, authenticity and bad faith can be used to understand the relationship between an individual’s work and non-work life, and how the pieces of a life fit together.