What are the signs of an unhealthy work life balance?

Liz Makin Author

Nov 19, 2025 |

Maintaining a positive and healthy work life balance needs action and attention. So how do you know that your work life balance has become unhealthy?

What is a positive and healthy work life balance?

A positive and healthy work life balance is where you maintain a harmonious relationship between your work and personal life. This involves consciously managing your time and energy to meet both professional and personal commitments, whilst prioritising your self care, health and wellbeing. 

Maintaining a positive and healthy work life balance needs action and attention as life and you change and the unexpected happens.

What is an unhealthy work life balance?

An unhealthy work life balance or work life imbalance is where work becomes overwhelming and takes precedence over your personal life, leading to negative consequences for your personal life, health and wellbeing.

What are the signs of an unhealthy work life balance?

Some of the key signs of an unhealthy work life balance are:

1. Overworking, by regularly working long hours (including weekends and holidays) without sufficient time for rest, relaxation or personal activities.

2. Neglecting and sacrificing your personal life, hobbies and leisure activities due to excessive work demands.

3. Stress and burnout, including experiencing physical, mental and emotional exhaustion due to work related pressure.

4. Deteriorating physical and mental health, due to failing to prioritise self care activities, such as exercise, sleep, nutrition and leisure time.

5. Difficulty in maintaining healthy relationships with family, friends, and loved ones due to work related commitments.

How do you know if your work life balance is unhealthy?

If your work life balance is unhealthy, you are likely to be experiencing one or more of the following:

1. You cannot stop thinking about work when you are not at work.

2. You are easily irritated by colleagues at work and/or you are distant with family and friends.

3. You are lacking energy and find it difficult to focus.

4. You have unexplained aches and pains.

5. Everything seems uninteresting or unimportant when you are not at work.

6. You turn down invitations and isolate yourself from your family and friends.

7. Your personal tasks build up waiting for when you will have time.

8. You struggle to take time off for a holiday or break, when you are unwell or when you need to take care of personal tasks.

9. You cannot imagine doing what you do for the rest of your life.

10. You always feel like no matter what you are doing, you should be doing something else.

Do you want to explore more about work life balance and how to achieve a positive and healthy work life balance?

If you want practical tips and strategies to help you to use to achieve a positive and healthy work life balance, our work life balance online course is for you.

In the course you will understand more about work life balance, learn how to achieve a positive and healthy work life balance, develop your knowledge and skills to proactively manage your work life balance going forward and develop a personalised work life balance action plan.

Take a look at our work life balance online course by clicking on the link below:

Work life balance: how to find a balance that works for you

You can take a look at our range of online personal development courses and bundles, including current special offers, at https://onlinecourses.makinithappen.co.uk

Categories: : Business, Life, Online courses, Personal development, Work, Work life balance