The importance of Work-Life Balance & how Max achieved it in 2025

The importance of a work-life balance is something which I believe cannot be reiterated enough - you will not excel in any field without taking the time to do things which make you happy. Throughout 2025, my life as a support worker allowed me to witness firsthand, and in many ways, just how important this balance is.

This first way became evident in the way in which I always imagined a work-life balance, and that was in my personal life. Having commenced my first year of university at the same time I started as a support worker, managing my work-life balance was an aspect which I was most concerned about, but I quickly realised that I needn’t be. As soon as my class times were announced for each semester, I was given a schedule which fit smoothly within these times, allowing me to maximise the time I was able to work – whether that be before or after my classes, or on my days without university. Further, my flexible schedule allowed me to continue to prioritise my life outside of work and university, giving me ample time to spend with friends and family. Before I knew it, my first year of both university and my support work employment had come to an end, and with minimised stress and angst due to this work-life balance.

I then began to see this balance show itself in another way – and that was through my supporting sessions themselves. I have found that for my participants, much as within my own life, getting through the difficult tasks such as chores or school work comes easiest when paired with a fun activity. This is often implemented through splitting the sessions into two parts – the first being the tedious, difficult tasks that lack the motivation (often from both of us!) to get done. This may be something simple like tidying their bedroom, unpacking their schoolbag, or even eating their vegetables. Once this is complete, we then go and do something fun like swimming, going to the park, or playing an outdoor sport. Even on such a smaller scale, the importance of work-life balance is still so crucial, and the benefits show themselves just as much.

And finally, and I believe most importantly, work-life balance was evident within the personal lives of my participants. Whether it be overcoming a reluctance to attend school, assisting in household chores, or overcoming a personal hardship, there has been so much resilience shown by my participants throughout 2025. No matter what it is that someone is facing or what they need to overcome, there is always one common factor which determines their success – yep, that’s right: balance. It might be in the form of a holiday at the end of the school term, or it might be getting the one gift they had been wanting for Christmas. Either way, this balance was such an important factor in getting through the difficult times.

If it wasn’t already obvious, 2025 was a year full of balance. It was not only a skill I was able to get better at but also came as yet another positive in my job as a support worker. It is something that I am extremely grateful to have experienced through such a full-on year and is now a thing which excites me about an even bigger year ahead.