Do you ever feel judged for how you balance work with everything else in life? Or feel that people's judgments about you at work or in your personal life impacts on your overall sense of balance?

If so, you are not alone.

In this episode, I explore some of the real-life examples shared on the blog and podcast of how people have described responding to feeling judged, and the impact it has on their work-life balance choices.

The intention, as always, is to celebrate the different ways that individuals approach their pursuit of balance, and to learn from one another.

Throughout the episode, I explore three of the most common reactions I've encountered to feeling judged:

🏎️ Using it as fuel to assert your decisions and make empowering changes

😕Internalising others' expectations and views on your choice, leading you to feel stuck and doubt yourself

🦆 Acknowledging judgements people may be taking of you, but not allowing it to influence your decision-making or play on your mind

The episode invites listeners to reflect on how they react to feeling judged and the root causes of their reactions. It includes some tips and inspiration about how to be more mindful and deliberate in managing the powerful emotions that feeling judged evokes.     

RELEVANT LINKS:

'A Fine Balance' blog post on reacting to judgements with anger: "Treat ’em Mean, Keep ’em Keen": https://a-fine-balance.com/2020/09/09/treat-em-mean-keep-em-keen/

When Feeling Judged Fuels Change:

https://a-fine-balance.com/2020/09/03/work-life-balance-profile-2-sheara-abrahams/

https://a-fine-balance.com/2021/11/16/stay-at-home-mum-nadines-story-on-opting-out-of-a-career-path-valuing-a-mothers-presence/

On Teenage Pregnancy, Teacher Burnout & Finding Balance When You’re “Busy”: Laura’s Story - https://a-fine-balance.com/2023/05/26/a-fine-balance-the-podcast-season-2-episode-5-out-now/

On Internalising People's Judgements of You:

https://a-fine-balance.com/2025/04/23/the-pursuit-of-balance-when-undergoing-infertility-treatment-and-how-to-regain-balance-and-find-purpose-in-unexpected-circumstances-new-podcast-episode-out-today/

Marsha’s Story – From high-flying professional to stay-at-home-mum: https://a-fine-balance.com/2020/09/23/work-life-balance-profile-3-marsha/

When Unaffected by People's Judgements:

Finding Balance When You’re An Introvert in a Family and Workplace Full of Extroverts: https://a-fine-balance.com/2024/03/13/finding-balance-when-youre-an-introvert-in-a-family-and-workplace-full-of-extroverts-podcast-episode-out-now-season-3-episode-3/

On Finding Balance When You Want to “Have It All”, Teamwork & Avoiding Stress: Ruth’s Story: https://a-fine-balance.com/2023/04/21/a-fine-balance-the-podcast-season-2-episode-4-out-now/