5 things chocolate teaches us about work/life balance

It’s easy to fall into a routine of work and home, but with a little intentional action to prioritise work, rest and play, your life can become a whole lot sweeter, writes Danielle Colley.

Eighty-one per cent of the Australian workforce is struggling with stress and burnout, according to a 2023 study conducted by GoodHabitz together with MarktEffect and published in the University of Melbourne’s (UOM) 2023 State of Future of Work Report. What’s even more alarming is that this percentage surpasses the global figure of 73 per cent of people grappling in silence with burnout.

While the COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in this for a few years, as the world gets back to normal, these rates are not dropping. Knowing that we are working harder and longer, and often putting great pressure on ourselves to succeed, one is forced to question what success really looks like if you’re crispy fried and hanging on by a thread until your annual leave. We need balance. We need time and space for simple pleasures.

Chocolate is one of life’s simple pleasures, so perhaps the antidote to endless striving lies in a philosophy based on chocolate. Or, more specifically, the Mars Bar. Remember, a Mars a day helps you work, rest and play, according to the ad campaign. Imagine the three ingredients of this snack as the necessary elements for a contented life. The nougat represents work, the caramel is rest, and the chocolate is play.

1. Your ratios don’t need to be equal

The Mars Bar consists of nougat, caramel, and chocolate, but these elements aren’t in equal measures to achieve that balance of flavour. Your elements of work, rest, and play will also never be equal due to life being so undulating. If they are present somehow, you are closer to balance.

2. A little goes a long way

Although Mars is known as a “chocolate bar”, the chocolate is hardly the primary ingredient. When you play, your brain is invited to engage in new ways. Play can help you to problem solve, boost your creativity, and think more critically with greater mental flexibility. It can also help you to access the “flow” state. That delightful space where nothing else matters as you are wholly focused and present. Even short bursts can have this positive effect.

3. Bite-sized is equally delicious

Bite-sized “pops” of rest or restorative activity throughout your day go a long way towards stress management and nervous system recalibration. In as little as 60 seconds of mindful breathing, you can lower your heart rate, and ease your racing mind, enabling you to have greater clarity of thinking, more sustained energy and even lower your cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. Restorative activity can be anything you find restful, such as a gentle walk, some stretching, reading a book, a cup of tea, sitting in nature, meditation, or even daydreaming.

4. Life is better with chocolate

From the time of the Aztecs, chocolate has been known as the gift of love. To show yourself that love, create a list of activities that you classify as play. It could be exploring something you’ve been curious about, or returning to something you once loved to do before you became too busy. It could be an online class that you do solo, or finding a group of like-minded people who you can do this thing with. It does not need to cost a lot of money, so think outside the box rather than giving yourself reasons why you could not explore your playful interests. Next, create a list of restorative activities ranging from 60 seconds up to as long as you like. Ensure that these are accessible to you in your daily life, such as not relaxing in a hammock under a palm tree if you live in the city.

5. If it’s there, you will eat it

We often need things to be under our noses to remember to do them. Add your bite-sized “pops” into your daily diary to ensure you have a few minutes of restful activity during your busy day. Then, organise your free time so you can prioritise play once or twice a week for as little or as long as you can. If these elements of work, rest and play are considered and prioritised, you can ensure your life is on the way to being more balanced and yummier.

It’s easy to fall into a routine of work and home, but with a little intentional action to prioritise work, rest and play, your life can become a whole lot sweeter.

Danielle Colley is an author, speaker, leadership workshop facilitator and coach.