It’s a positive development in American culture that “work/life balance” is now a frequent topic of conversation and even an item discussed in job interviews.

Employees, especially in higher ed, have greater permission to prioritize their “home life.” The degree to which a job or career allows them time and energy to spend with their families is frequently among the top reasons individuals give to explain a particular employment choice.

Why should we rethink the phrase “work/life balance”?

My critique is not with the concept, but rather with the phrase “work/life.” It suggests that our lives are divided into the time we dedicate to our salary-earning activities (work) and all the rest, including sleep, families, hobbies, travel, leisure, spiritual organizations, and everything else that supposedly comprises “life.”

Such a dichotomy sells short the role that our professional role plays in our overall lives. Most of us in higher ed aspire to a career full of activities we enjoy. Indeed, we spend many years preparing for just such a career and earn less than we could in other industries.

These investments in time, resources, and energy are similar to those we put into our hobbies, our homes, and even our families. We spend roughly one-third of our hours dedicated to our paying jobs. For many, our professions bring us fulfillment and joy.

Why we should take a closer look at life balance

So why would we exclude these professional activities from our conception of “life”?

Certainly, I understand what the “work/life balance” conversation is aiming at: a critical lens on employers’ demands on employees’ time and energy. We could apply that same lens to any other activity.

All our choices engage us in trade-offs that speak to life balance. Yes, let’s ask whether our university’s demands allow us to spend enough time with our children. But let’s also ask whether our dedication to Netflix binging impinges on our time with them as well. And whether a recent fascination with, say, home brewing, keeps us from grading student papers on time.

Our careers are part of our lives. To separate “work” from “life” is not only artificial, but suggests that the tradeoffs we make for professional activities deserve more scrutiny than others.