Chasing work-life balance can ‘lead to anxiety,' Harvard professor says—try the ‘pendulum lifestyle' instead

The constant pursuit of work-life balance is admirable, but can be daunting. Fortunately, there is a new outlook that offers a more realistic and attainable way to live.

Jeff Karp, a professor of biomedical engineering at Harvard Medical School and MIT, is using his scientific background to liken the back and forth movements of a pendulum to the ebbs and flows of daily life.

In his book, LIT, which stands for Life Ignition Tools, Karp encourages readers to use nature as a playbook for creating ideas and springing into action. One tool he suggests is following the "pendulum lifestyle."

"We hear these things from others, [like] trust in the process [and] balance is so important, we need more balance, it's the ultimate goal," Karp tells CNBC Make It.

"It ends up being very frustrating and can lead to anxiety, because we're constantly feeling like we're not in balance. There's a state we should be in [and] we're never in that state."

Karp noticed in his own life that even when he was trying his best, always having balance in life just wasn't sustainable.

"I realized that if we start to look at everything in life, like our energy levels, our motivation, our hunger, our sleep...like everything is on a pendulum, and you start to step back and visualize that, I think it can be incredibly empowering," he says. "Like the pendulum, [there are] these natural rhythms in life."

Here are some practical ways you can use the ebbs and flows of life to your benefit.

5 ways you can practice the pendulum lifestyle

Whether it's your quality of sleep that's changing or your level of energy that needs some work, when the pendulum swings in a direction that you're not fond of, be patient with yourself, Karp suggests.

"Start to shift your focus away from this expectation of hitting a goal and shift it more towards what's a really simple, single step that you can take just to kind of move things back," in the other direction, he says.

In those moments, Karp encourages you to think of it as a fun challenge and try some of these steps:

1. Mindfully observe what's happening: Take a closer look at how your practices throughout the day may be affecting the situation. Then, make positive adjustments that can better support you.
2. Take note of your natural energy patterns: Identify the times of day, days of the week or seasons during the year when you have the highest and lowest energy levels. Adjust your schedule to factor in those times for increased productivity and periods of rest.
3. Be curious: Develop an interest in difficult periods and see what you can learn from them. Be open to new experiences that may increase your resilience.
4. Understand that when the pendulum swings one way, it must swing back: With every down, an up is likely around the corner. Remember that change is the only constant.
5. Have regular self check-ins: Think about what's occurring in your life on a larger scale that may be causing you to feel an imbalance. Decide which small steps you'll take to improve things over time.

Let's say the problem is that you're getting less, good-quality sleep. Practicing the pendulum lifestyle may look like going to bed a bit earlier or stretching a few minutes before you try to sleep to relax your body, Karp says.

"Take stock of what's working and what's holding [you] back," he encourages. "Then consider other possibilities, other ways of thinking, [like] 'What's the first, single step that I could take?'"

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