When was the last time you felt like your workload had become a touch too heavy? What about thinking that your work/life balance is firmly out of whack, with work weighing down the seesaw to the point that ‘life’ barely gets a look-in? 

If your answer to the above is anything other than ‘never, I’m always stress-free and on top of it all’, you’re not alone. New research from Bloom UK, in a report called The Juggle, hammers home just how big of an issue our work/life imbalance has become, and just how significant the mental health impact of this is. 

The research surveyed more than 700 women working in advertising, marketing and communication, and found that 93% of them said that a lack of work/life balance has negatively affected their mental health. Four in five (83%) said they have experienced physical health issues as a result of this, while two-fifths (43%) have experienced symptoms of stress, anxiety or burnout. 

Why? A big part of the struggle to balance the load is the simple fact of having too much to do. Over half (54%) of the women surveyed reported frequently feeling overwhelmed by their workload, with a third stating they have limited or no control over the amount of work being assigned to them. We’re too often having to stay late to try to play catch-up, with two-thirds of women engaging in overtime at least once a week. 

Worryingly, the issues deepen across intersectional lines. Two-thirds of women of colour feel their ethnicity means they face unique challenges or barriers in achieving work-life balance. And more than half of queer women (ie more than heterosexual women) say that a lack of work-life balance has negatively affected their personal relationships.

Two-fifths of women of colour (41%) don’t feel their work allows for a healthy integration of personal and professional life, compared to a third (31%) of white women. A lack of control makes things worse; over half of women of colour said there was a lack of representation or inclusion in decision-making processes. 

What could help? A common recommendation from the women surveyed was offering mentorships, coaching or sponsorship programmes specifically for women of colour. Beyond this, it’s very often a cultural change that’s needed: workplaces need to create safe spaces for women to speak up when their workload is becoming too much, and provide systems to prevent overwhelm and burnout. Awareness of how other factors can worsen work/life balance issues is vital, too. 

Elizabeth Anyaegbuna, Bloom’s president, said: “At Bloom, we know that for many women the lines between work and life are increasingly blurred. The demands of careers intertwine in complex responsibilities and identities outside the workplace. That’s why we set out to uncover realities and drive positive change around this elusive concept of ‘work-life balance’ through our research, The Juggle, and we have been intentional in reflecting all voices as best we can to better understand the challenges faced.

“The data confirms many women shoulder a disproportionate burden, especially those facing intersectional challenges. With The Juggle, we aim to equip managers and leaders to foster supportive, equitable workplaces. The goals are simple: policies, cultures and spaces where women can thrive holistically, with their needs understood. Most managers want to support their teams. This data will help overcome unconscious biases and drive change. Employees too can advocate more effectively for support by making the business case with the findings from The Juggle.”

Images: Getty