There’s an old tale about a fisherman who was lying on a beautiful beach with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the Mediterranean. As the fisherman laid back, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the prospect of catching a fish, a businessman approached him, curious as to why this fisherman was not working hard to provide for himself and his family.

“You won’t catch many fish that way,” the businessman said. “You should be working rather than lying on the beach.”

“What will my reward be if I work harder?” enquired the fisherman.

The businessman went on to explain how the fisherman could expand his business by purchasing more nets, which would result in more fish being caught, which leads to a higher profit that he could use for the acquisition of a boat, resulting in larger fish catches.

“And then what will my reward be?” the fisherman asked again.

At this point, the businessman was angered by the fisherman’s questions because it was clear that the fisherman had no knowledge of business, let alone a vision for greater things. “You can buy a bigger boat and hire some people to work for you,” the businessman said.

“And then what will my reward be?” repeated the fisherman.

“Don’t you realise you can become so wealthy that you will never have to work for a living again?” he yelled. “You can spend the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset, without a care in the world.”

“And what do you think I am doing right now?” asked the fisherman.

Working incessantly to achieve business success is commonly valued over mental health and personal duties. While combining work and life may not be easy, it is crucial for long-term satisfaction.

According to Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, businesspeople who are overwhelmed with appointments should schedule time to spend with their families and be prepared for times when an emergency at home requires them to drop everything to deal with it, “because this is almost certain to happen.”

However, Branson recommends that rather than viewing these two areas of life as antagonistic, they could be combined. “Don’t separate work and play. It’s all living,” he said.

Fitting a workout into the workday helps reduce stress, keeps you healthy, and is great for getting ‘alone time’ to work out business and personal problems, according to Mike Cassidy, former CEO and co-founder of five internet start-ups including Stylus Innovation, Direct Hit, Xfire, Ruba.com, and Apollo Fusion.

“If someone requests a non-work-related meeting, see if they are willing to conduct the meeting while exercising together. Workout at lunchtime and eat at your desk,” Cassidy suggested.

Maintaining a harmonious relationship between your career and personal life is what healthy work-life balance entails. It involves consciously managing your time and energy to meet both work and personal obligations while prioritising self-care and well-being.

We have a tendency to believe that we can be productive all of the time, or that an eight-hour workday equates to eight hours of output. However, for many, this is difficult, if not impossible to achieve. Furthermore, overworking has a negative impact on employees as well as employers.

Workaholics and those who struggle to practise self-care are more likely to suffer from burnout, exhaustion, and stress-related health problems. Employees that have a poor work-life balance may work longer hours yet be less productive.

What works for some people does not work for others. When it comes to time management, individuals may have to experiment with what time scale is most right for them. Trying to achieve balance in a single day might be difficult, but it may be easier to achieve over the course of a week or more.

The story of the businessman and the fisherman illustrates that adopting long working hours combined with a packed social and leisure calendar leaves individuals with little opportunity for personal reflection or rest.

Working smarter, like the fisherman, allows you to get the most out of your energy and time. It enables you to spend less time burning energy and more time preserving it for more important activities. Essentially, when you work smart, you rest smart, providing you more time for meditating, practising mindfulness, or even napping in the warm Mediterranean sun, all of which will enhance your mood and foster creativity.