The best way to achieve work-life balance

Shape, July, 2008

* You don't have to choose between a happy life and a thriving career; you can work from home. An analysis of telecommmuting studies published in the Journal of Applied Psychology shows that not only do employees with flexible work arrangements enjoy higher morale and less stress, managers also benefit from their workers' better performances-a fact that's making the phenomenon more widely accepted."it's not like 20 years ago, when you would have been one of the few working remotely and could have been seen as less committed to your job,"says study co-author David Harrison, Ph.D.

Still, you have the best chance of convincing your boss you'll be as productive at home if your current performance level is up to par and if you come into the office at least twice a week to maintain important co-worker relationships.