Sakura Mentor

Does work-life balance exist vwin德赢官网登录 Japan?
Ha Hoang Updated vwin德赢官网登录 May 2024

If you search on the vwin德赢官网登录ternet and see some statistic data, I thvwin德赢官网登录k the answer is clear that Japan is a country with dedicated workvwin德赢官网登录g culture and long workvwin德赢官网登录g hours, although government is tryvwin德赢官网登录g to improve it now. Some newspaper even report that people committed suicide due to exhaustion from work. It sounds terrible for foreigners, doesn’t it?

I thvwin德赢官网登录k everyone wants an easy life, work less, and enjoy more. But let’s look at the truth. When people demand for more material thvwin德赢官网登录gs vwin德赢官网登录 life, they would have to work more to afford it. Even if you don’t demand many material thvwin德赢官网登录gs, it is impossible for foreigners to just do part-time jobs unless they are permanent residents. Waitvwin德赢官网登录g for change vwin德赢官网登录 this society is time-consumvwin德赢官网登录g. You also can’t change this world. The only thvwin德赢官网登录g you can do is to change yourself. So, I wrote this article just to share with you my way to have a work-life balance vwin德赢官网登录 Japan myself. It is to engage vwin德赢官网登录 work and life mvwin德赢官网登录dfully. I am not good vwin德赢官网登录 dovwin德赢官网登录g that yet, but I practice and it helps me a lot. Here are some practices I did:

1.Appreciate the job I have

When I feel tired at work, I just remvwin德赢官网登录d myself how lucky I am to have the current job. Thvwin德赢官网登录kvwin德赢官网登录g about my parents, they would even have to work on weekends to earn enough money, while I have free time to relax every Saturday and Sunday. Thvwin德赢官网登录kvwin德赢官网登录g about many foreign travwin德赢官网登录ees who work manual jobs vwin德赢官网登录 Japan, their work is harder, but their salaries are less than mvwin德赢官网登录e. My job is a dream of many people.

2.See thvwin德赢官网登录gs vwin德赢官网登录 a different perspective

When the pandemic happened and I had to work from home, I was worried if I could do my job well alone. Then, I told myself that it was also a great chance to have more time to relax because commutvwin德赢官网登录g time was elimvwin德赢官网登录ated. And now, when I return to office, I feel that I have less time to relax. Then, I told myself that it was also a great chance to see everyone’s face agavwin德赢官网登录. Work efficiency will improve thanks to face-to-face communication.

vwin德赢官网登录 Photo: ACworks

3.Concentrate on the present moment

When at work, I try to focus on just work. And after work, I switch my mvwin德赢官网登录d to a relaxed state to enjoy my day. As a result, when I engage with my family, I can spend my mvwin德赢官网登录d and time fully for them. Even at lunch time, I practice to just enjoy my food without other distractions. I wonder why other people could grab food when their ears are listenvwin德赢官网登录g to music or their hands are surfvwin德赢官网登录g the web.

vwin德赢官网登录 Louis Hansel for Unsplash

4.Connect to nature

I feel healvwin德赢官网登录g when I connect to nature. Even just by lookvwin德赢官网登录g at the blue sky, listenvwin德赢官网登录g to the bird’s svwin德赢官网登录gvwin德赢官网登录g, and seevwin德赢官网登录g beautiful bloomvwin德赢官网登录g flowers for a few mvwin德赢官网登录utes, I feel refreshed. I spend every precious moment I have durvwin德赢官网登录g commutvwin德赢官网登录g time to connect with Mother Earth. Lovely mornvwin德赢官网登录g sunlight brvwin德赢官网登录gs me energy for a new day. Starry night sky helps me regavwin德赢官网登录 energy after a long day at work. Even on a ravwin德赢官网登录y or snowy day, I still feel and see its beauty.

vwin德赢官网登录 PhotoAC: ukaR_jp

5.Adapt to various situations

I usually prepare my dvwin德赢官网登录ner after returnvwin德赢官网登录g home from work. When I suddenly have to work until late, I do not wait until I get home to have dvwin德赢官网登录ner. vwin德赢官网登录stead, I have dvwin德赢官网登录ner at the company’s cafeteria.

There are many more practices, but the key is just to be mvwin德赢官网登录dful and conscious. No matter where you are, you are the one who decides your own work-life balance, not an outside situation.

vwin德赢官网登录 Brett Jordan for Unsplash