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Let’s replace work-life balance with work-rest rhythm
We keep optimising our time but forget to replenish ourselves.
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As a society, we can and must shift our national narrative of productivity to deliberately include rest as a strength, not a slowdown, says the writer.
PHOTO: ISTOCK
Anthea Ong
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Work-life balance. It’s the phrase that won’t go away. We’ve tried to make it more palatable – calling it “work-life harmony” or “work-life integration”. But the framing remains unchanged: work on one side, life on the other, and the self somewhere in the tug of war.
Work-life balance is now the top priority for job seekers in Singapore across Gen Z, millennials and Gen X, according to the latest Randstad Workmonitor Survey 2025. It’s a timely and telling signal: People of all ages are exhausted, and they want their lives back.
