Balancing Acts: Black Women, Work, and the Art of Rest

Work life balance has never been a neat equation, especially for Black women. It is more like an ever shifting rhythm, with career ambition on one side and family, identity, and sanity on the other. Each day demands its own choreography.

Many women are told that success means climbing relentlessly, taking every promotion, saying yes to every opportunity. But what happens when ambition meets motherhood? When the calendar collides with the workplace? For some, the decision not to chase a promotion is not hesitation; it is strategy. It is understanding that success, at its truest, includes peace.

Then came the girl boss era, all hustle, power suits, and endless productivity. It promised liberation but often delivered burnout wrapped in empowerment slogans. For Black women, the message was double edged: be twice as good, twice as visible, twice as strong. The pressure to do it all became another quiet weight to carry. But now, there is a shift, a growing understanding that success does not need to look loud to be real. Rest, boundaries, and self-preservation have become the new symbols of ambition.

The world often praises resilience while ignoring exhaustion. But there is quiet power in slowing down. Prioritising rest and mental well-being is not indulgence; it is resistance. It is saying, I can be excellent without being emptied.

Then there is the boys’ club, that unspoken network where decisions are whispered over drinks or golf swings. For many Black women, entry into those circles is not guaranteed. It requires self-advocacy, trusted mentors, and sometimes, a partner at home who understands that support is an action, not applause. A partner who shares the emotional labour, who sees that helping you rise is helping you live fully.

Balancing a demanding job and raising children is not a sign of divided focus; it is proof of multifaceted strength. Yet balance does not come from doing it all. It comes from choosing what matters most at each moment, career when it calls, family when they need you, and yourself always.

In Black or Brown British spaces, the weight can feel heavier, the expectations higher, and the visibility lower. Studies show that Black and Brown mothers in the UK are less likely to access flexible work and more likely to face bias when returning to their careers. But within that tension, many women are creating their own models of success, ones built on community, compassion, and self-trust.

Work life balance is not about perfection. It is about presence, showing up fully in whichever space you stand today, and knowing you do not need to shrink, rush, or prove to belong there.

Written by Mitchelle Pascalia Nginya