Work–life balance

Work–life balance

Listen to a radio interview about maintaining a good work–life balance to practise and improve your listening skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Preparation

Transcript

Presenter: Good morning, everyone. On today's show, we've got Chris Svensson with us, the author of No more nine to five, the new best-selling book about work–life balance in the current working world. Good morning, Chris. Thanks for coming.

Chris: Thanks for having me, Anna.

Presenter: So, Chris, tell us about your book and how the concept of a work–life balance has been changing?

Chris: Well, in the more traditional workplaces, people's working lives and their private lives are, or were, clearly divided. People often work from nine in the morning until five or six in the evening. People sometimes stay late in the office and work in the evenings. This is called working overtime.

Presenter: OK, and what else?

Chris: Well, in these environments it isn't common for people to work at the weekend or while they're on holiday. They can clearly separate their working lives and their private lives. And the evenings, weekends and holidays are free to focus on non-work areas of life, such as hobbies, interests, sports, spending time with the family and friends, and so on. It's important and healthy not to spend all your time just working, right?

Presenter: Right! So what has changed? How are things different now?

Chris: Well, for a start, most people can now access their work emails from their mobile phones. So they are more likely to quickly reply to an important mail in the evening or at the weekend. The same goes for laptops. It's easier to access your work in the evenings from home or even from your hotel when you're on holiday.

Presenter: That doesn't sound like much of a work–life balance. It sounds like all work.

Chris: Exactly, but this new mobility brings a lot of advantages with it. More people are now able to work flexibly, so if they need to leave the office early one afternoon to be with their family, they can catch up on work that evening from home or somewhere else.

Presenter: That sounds good. So, what you're saying is that although traditional divisions between work and life are fading, many employees now have more freedom to do their work from different locations and at different times.

Chris: Yes, that's it.

Task 1

Task 2

Discussion

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Submitted by Eman Samir on Sun, 04/12/2022 - 08:01

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I usually try as much as possible to set specific times for my outings, hobbies, doing exercises ahead. Sometimes, it works out. other times it doesn't. In that case I try to compensate the activities I have missed later.

Submitted by Jahon9900 on Tue, 06/09/2022 - 17:18

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I have started in my career path with managing work-life balance. Probably I think it is really important to handle your ordinary life with work-life balance. I think family stand firstly everyone rather than work and anything.

Submitted by vANISH2004 on Thu, 01/09/2022 - 16:14

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I have never tried any serious job due to my age - I am only eighteen thus I have just started my university study. But sometimes it is easy to observe something common between these two distinct stages of life. For example in Russia you must always stick to timetables and strict rules. You have lots of commitments and if you once appear to be behind schedule many difficulties are expected. So ,as your work? studying requires you to be in charge of your personal success which you are to use to build decent career ladder. As for me, I don't distinguish my studying and my personal life because I believe It helps me to maintain my well-being. Someone might say that such a lifestyle oblige a man to turn life into immortal abstruse studying but If you are able to deal with routine duties without repudiating happiness and satisfaction from education you precisely will remain easygoing for entire life

Submitted by mamalirezaenglish on Sun, 14/08/2022 - 11:20

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I've just started my job at a very important position in a company. I don't have a work-life balance because I have to reach many goals in a short period of time to drive sales.
I usually take a day off just on Fridays.

Submitted by kirito25 on Tue, 09/08/2022 - 11:57

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Well, I scheduled everything that I will do it Godwilling.

Submitted by Ehsan on Tue, 21/06/2022 - 08:22

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I try to don't have dead time. I work, exercise and when I am free I do something like studying, being with my family and friends. I try to make a balance in my life.

Submitted by Selinay. on Sat, 18/06/2022 - 10:16

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I'm student at University of Medicine. You know, I must study hard about medicine. Social life is important for me. For instance; playing tennis, walking, cycling, dancing and being with friends and family. I try to finde all of things. They are supporting to me for studying. I am good at scheduling. I think, I have to that. :)

Submitted by hacking61 on Sun, 22/05/2022 - 23:56

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I love this accents is very clear, I understand all

Submitted by meryemsare on Wed, 11/05/2022 - 13:58

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I get up early. Actually the time is 5 or 6 a.m. First thing when getting up is the pray to Allah and read Qur'an. Then I have a breakfast and start doing my routine work.

Submitted by Tetiana Lekha on Thu, 07/04/2022 - 15:45

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I always work. I find the work even at weekends. I work from 8 am to 3 pm four days a week, but this is only one of my jobs. The rest of the time I work as a tutor, create my courses, search new clients, so I surely say, I'm a busy woman. I don't have work-life balance. Work is the priority for me. Work is my life).