1-2 Activity: Lens Exploration
Kellymarie Rose
Southern New Hampshire University
IDS-402
Instructor Lora Canter
March 9, 2025
1-2 Activity: Lens Exploration
Existing Knowledge
Before selecting a wellness topic, we must first define wellness. To me, wellness is a
personal quest for the right balance of life based on our own choices, habits, and lifestyles.
Wellness is a delicate balance of everything we are, could be, and don't want to be. The goal is
to be conscious, well-rounded, and make decisions that lead to the best possible end of becoming
the best version of ourselves. Maintaining a work-life balance is essential to achieving personal
balance. Like myself, many of us struggle to balance demanding jobs, relationships, family
obligations, and finding time for our hobbies and interests. While trying to take care of myself
and have fun, I have been raising a family of four children, working a full-time job, and
attending school full-time for the past three years. We become stressed out and less productive as
we rush around trying to get everything done at work and at home. Stress ruins focus, causes
people to become agitated or depressed, and damages our relationships both personally and
professionally. Additionally, this stress impairs immunity and makes people more susceptible to a
variety of illnesses, ranging from heart disease to the common cold. There are minor adjustments
and actions we can take to reduce stress and restore equilibrium in our lives.
Historical Lens
We can study human culture, history, and philosophy through the lens of the humanities. It
examines meaning, metaphor, and experience while studying the artistic expression of various
cultures. Since people have always been taught that having money equates to success, they have
struggled to strike a balance between work and home life. Furthermore, the phrase "work-life
balance" implies that a person's life experiences are divided into two categories. According to
performance coach and best-selling author Nigel Marsh, there are three misconceptions about
work-life balance that should be dispelled. One of the first myths is that work-life balance is not
a serious or urgent issue. Nonetheless, the high prevalence of depression and suicide in the
veterinary field highlights the worry that. Every profession is now regarded as unique,
demanding, and stressful. According to Marsh, striking equilibrium is a matter of mindset and "it
is a crisis of choice and imagination, not circumstances." The third and final misconception is
that having a poor work-life balance is a necessary cost of trying to achieve the highest level of
success. Studies have demonstrated the positive effects of rest and recuperation on creativity and
productivity.
Natural and Applied Sciences Lens
With the natural and applied sciences lens, we can study the material world grounded in
the scientific method. In 2020, Grand Canyon University conducted a study into “the factors
contributing to work-life balance and the experiences of those working through the grind”
(Work-life balance stats among business professionals, 2022). They surveyed 600 business
professionals navigating the modern worker’s life and asked various questions regarding their
experiences such as what the biggest barrier they have encountered is, what aspects of their life
have suffered due to poor work-life balance, and how they expect their work-life balance to
change as they progress in their career. Approximately 70% of respondents said that burnout,
corporate culture, or personal perfectionism were the top three cultural barriers. The top three
areas that suffered were mental and emotional well-being, self-care practices, and relationships
with family and friends. Remarkably, over 50% of those polled said they did anticipate a positive
shift in their work-life balance as their careers advanced. This optimism could be related to
“personal adjustments to a more balanced schedule or to global movements of self-care spurred
by the pandemic” (Work-life balance stats among business professionals, 2022).
Social Science Lens
Human relationships and social structures are examined through the social science lens
using demographic and statistical measurements, which essentially refer to how people interact
with one another in their social surroundings. An unsafe and unhealthy work-life balance results
from employees working in an unsafe and unhealthy environment. "Supportive workplace
cultures, practices, and leadership" should be prioritized as a means of enhancing work
relationships, according to Australian sociologist Barbara Pocock, who has studied work-life
balance in greater detail. According to Pocock, employers must accept employees' personal and
professional needs and be flexible regarding work schedules and structure. According to
research, "employees are largely feeling overworked, unhappy, and uneasy about having to work
beyond their desired age of retirement," despite consumers' growing concern and interest in
achieving the ideal work-life balance (Zevallos, 2014).
References
Dittmer, E. (2020, June 30). The (short) history of work-life balance and its effect on our
happiness. Truly Experiences Blog. Retrieved July 2022, from
https://trulyexperiences.com/blog/history-of-work-life-balance/
A. L. Grice (2018). Well-being and Work-Life Balance. 32–36 in EquiManagement. balance
between work and life. America's Mental Health, 2022. taken from
https://www.mhanational.org/work-life-balance in July 2022.
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