Today, I want to share my thoughts on work-life balance, a topic that has become widely debated.

But first, I acknowledge that this is a sensitive subject—not everyone has the privilege of choosing their balance. Many work simply to keep life going. This message is not aimed at them; we all do what we must. Instead, this is for those who have reached a point of stability and now seek growth, those who want to spread their wings but struggle to find a new balance. To them, I’d like to share my experiences—not just as a CEO, but as a husband, father, friend, innovator, and leader. Because as I’ve grown older, my responsibilities have multiplied, and I’ve had to learn how to balance them all while still finding happiness.

What I realized early on is that it’s not about balancing work against life, as if they are opposing forces. It’s about balance in general, about being a balanced person. And I’ve come to believe that it starts with health—both mental and physical. I’ll leave physical health for another day; today, I want to talk about mental well-being.

I see many people struggling with this. Why? I believe it’s due to a lack of human connection. Family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, even strangers—we’ve stopped prioritizing these relationships, and the fallout is evident in rising anxiety and stress levels. This isn’t about personality types; introverts and extroverts alike need meaningful human interaction. It’s not a matter of spending X hours on socializing; it’s about fulfilling a fundamental human need—to love and be loved, to see and be seen, to care and be cared for. Yes, relationships can be messy, exhausting, even frustrating. But they are what make life worth living. There is nothing else. Loneliness should be recognized and addressed, not ignored or glossed over. I’ve often found myself a stranger in a strange land, so I know that feeling well. And the only solution I’ve found is to keep trying—to keep reaching out and connecting with others.

Throughout history, human survival has depended on connection. We built communities, traveled to find others, learned to coexist, and thrived as a result. But now, technology is distorting that balance. It has enabled self-isolation. We can create artificial “bubbles” that give us a false sense of security—we work from home, have everything delivered, chat online—and the pandemic amplified these habits. But that kind of living weakens us from within. It doesn’t make us safer; it makes us lonelier. The real world is still out there.

So what do we do?

We build social fitness—to coin a phrase.

Think of it this way: to achieve physical fitness, you must exercise. It’s uncomfortable, sometimes painful, even exhausting. But the benefits far outweigh the temporary discomfort. The same applies to mental fitness. What makes us mentally strong? Our ability to interact with others in a meaningful, productive way. That doesn’t mean we need to be social all the time—we all need alone time too (more on that later). And, yes, social interactions can be challenging, even excruciating at times. But we must engage. We must build our “social muscles.”

In short: go live a real life. Connect with real people, in real time, in the real world. Put down your phone. Step beyond your small circle of family, friends, and colleagues—engage with the larger community. Reach out to neighbors, distant relatives, and even strangers. Will it be uncomfortable? Absolutely. Who wants to risk rejection or criticism? But if you want to reduce anxiety and stress, you must do it. And as your core strengthens, as you rebuild those social muscles, you’ll find yourself naturally balancing all the chaos and craziness of life—and actually enjoying it.