Severance and the Fantasy of the Perfect Work/Life Balance

What if you could leave all your stress, anxiety, and work-related burdens at the office the moment you clock out? What if your personal life never seeped into your 9-to-5, and your work responsibilities never haunted your evenings? Sounds like a dream, right? That’s exactly the dystopian premise of Severance, a show that takes the idea of work/life balance to the extreme.

What is Severance About?

The TV series Severance explores a world where employees undergo a surgical procedure that “severs” their consciousness into two distinct personas—one for work and one for home. Their work selves have no memory of life outside the office, while their home selves remain blissfully unaware of what happens on the job. In theory, this solves the age-old problem of work/life balance. No stress from home bleeds into work, and no work stress follows you home. But is severing your identity really the answer?

The Reality: No True Separation

While Severance plays on the fantasy of the perfect divide between professional and personal life, it highlights an all-too-familiar struggle: feeling like two different people in different contexts. Work demands efficiency, compliance, and sometimes emotional detachment, while home asks for presence, vulnerability, and authenticity. The truth is, no amount of compartmentalization can prevent our jobs from shaping who we are. Our stress doesn’t disappear when we clock out—it lingers in our bodies, minds, and relationships.

When Work Becomes Your Identity

For many, work is more than just a paycheck—it’s a source of validation and self-worth. The pressure to be constantly productive means we start measuring our value by how busy we are. If we’re not responding to emails after hours or tackling extra assignments, guilt creeps in. But when we let work define us, we risk losing sight of who we are outside of it.

Without intentional boundaries, over-identification with work can lead to:

• Burnout – a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion from chronic stress.

• Relationship Issues – struggling to be emotionally present for loved ones.

• Anxiety – feeling on edge even when you’re technically “off the clock.”

So, is Severance about work/life balance? Absolutely. But it’s also about the dangers of trying to “solve” the issue by ignoring the interconnectedness of our lives. Instead of attempting to split ourselves into separate people, we need strategies that help us navigate both worlds with integrity.

3 Tips to Cultivate Work/Life Balance (Without Severing Your Soul)

1. Detach Your Self-Worth from Productivity

o Find a hobby that brings you joy outside of work.

o Nurture relationships—schedule that coffee date.

o Give yourself permission to rest without guilt.

2. Practice Emotional Awareness at Work and Home

o Recognize that emotions exist at work—don’t suppress them.

o Ask yourself, “What am I feeling right now? What do I need?”

o Name it to tame it—articulating your emotions helps process them.

3. Live a Life You Don’t Want to Escape From

o Identify what brings you joy and make space for it daily.

o Implement small, meaningful changes—a morning walk, listening to music during your commute, or taking lunch outside.

o Align your days with your values instead of just your obligations.

We don’t need to sever ourselves to find balance. We need to integrate—bringing our whole, human selves to both work and home. Because the goal isn’t to escape life. It’s to create one that feels whole.

If you’re struggling with burnout or stress, a burnout therapist or Calgary psychologist can help. You deserve support as you navigate this path toward balance.