The illusion of work life separation

The illusion of work life separation. What if the series “Severance” on Apple TV really existed.

In the series “Severance”, employees of Lumon Industries undergo a surgical procedure that completely separates their professional consciousness from their personal life. At the office, they remember nothing of their life outside. At home, they know nothing about their work. A perfect separation, clean and without contamination.

Fascinating, isn’t it? Imagine being able to completely switch off your professional brain at 5 p.m. No more emails haunting you during dinner, no more presentations waking you up at night, no more office conflicts ruining your weekend.

But here is the problem: this perfect separation is not only impossible, it is also deeply against human nature. And paradoxically, it is by trying to achieve it that we make ourselves sick.

The myth of the double personality

We live under the illusion that we must be two different people: the “professional” version and the “personal” version. As if we could put on and take off our emotions, our values and our concerns the way we change clothes.

This belief pushes us to develop what could be called a “double life syndrome”. At work, we wear a mask of unshakable competence. At home, we desperately try to leave our professional worries at the door.

But let’s face reality: when your child gets sick, do you really stop worrying once you arrive at the office? When an important project stresses you out, do you magically become relaxed the moment you step into your home?

Contamination works both ways. Our personal joys brighten our workdays. Our family stresses follow us into meetings. Our core values influence our professional decisions. And that is exactly how it should be.

The exhaustion of fragmentation

Maintaining this double identity is exhausting. Literally. Our brain is not designed to manage multiple personalities. Every time we repress an emotion, censor a thought or force a professional smile while we are preoccupied, we spend precious cognitive energy.

We end up in a constant inner conflict, torn between who we truly are and who we think we must be at work.

The symptoms are everywhere: that fatigue that hits as soon as we leave the office, that difficulty disconnecting in the evening, that feeling of always being on edge. Not to mention sleep problems, headaches and irritability that slowly set in.

We exhaust ourselves trying to maintain airtight walls where there should be bridges. We fight our deep nature instead of welcoming it.

Authenticity as a strength, not a weakness

What if the problem were not a lack of separation, but rather too much separation? What if the solution were not to become two people, but to learn to be fully one person, coherent and authentic?

Your sense of humor, your creativity, your empathy and your ability to solve problems do not change depending on your location. They are you, everywhere and all the time.

The most inspiring leaders are not those who wear the most perfect mask. They are those who have learned to be authentically themselves, whether in the boardroom or at a family picnic. They adapt their expression to the context, but they do not change their essence.

Think about the people who have made an impact on you professionally. They are not the “perfect machines” without emotion. They are those who manage to be human while remaining competent, vulnerable while being strong and authentic while staying professional.

Conscious harmony: an alternative to separation

Conscious harmony does not mean mixing everything without discernment. It is not about crying at the office or treating colleagues like family. It is about recognizing that you are a whole person, with different facets depending on the situation.

Concretely, this means:

Accepting your emotions without being ruled by them. When you are stressed by a personal issue, acknowledge it rather than deny it. Let close colleagues know that you are going through a difficult period. You may be surprised by their understanding and support.

Using your personal strengths at work. The patience you developed with your children can help you with a difficult team. Your weekend creativity can bring light to a professional project. Your household organization skills can transform your effectiveness at the office.

Respecting contexts without betraying yourself. You do not speak to your boss the same way you speak to your partner, that is obvious. But you can keep the same integrity, the same values and the same kindness in both cases.

Creating conscious transitions. Instead of trying to cut off abruptly, create transition rituals. A moment of breathing as you leave the office, a brief mental review of your day when you get home. These transitions help your brain adapt without fragmenting.

The price of authenticity

Being authentic at work requires courage. It sometimes means showing your limits, admitting your mistakes and expressing your needs. In a professional world that still too often values the appearance of perfection, this is an act of bravery.

But it is also liberating. Imagine the energy you would regain if you stopped maintaining a facade. Imagine the creativity that would emerge if you allowed your true personality to express itself. Imagine the deeper and more satisfying relationships you could build.

Toward a new definition of balance

Work life balance is not about hermetically separating two worlds. It is about creating harmony between different aspects of your life, all nourished by who you truly are.

This harmony is built day by day, in small steps. By standing by your values in your professional decisions. By bringing your joy of life into the workplace. By using your professional skills to better organize your personal life.

It is a learning process that requires patience with yourself. We all grew up with the idea that we had to “leave our problems at home” and “not mix work and pleasure”. Unlearning these beliefs takes time.

A courageous choice

Unlike the employees of Lumon Industries, we have a choice. We can continue to exhaust ourselves through fragmentation, or we can choose courageous integration.

Choosing professional authenticity means choosing to live fully, without airtight compartments and without masks that suffocate us. It means choosing to be the same admirable person wherever we go.

The real question is not “How do I separate my professional life from my personal life?” but rather “How can I be the best version of myself in every context of my life?”

Your answer to that question could transform not only your work, but your entire existence.