If You Had A Choice, Would You Work To Live Or Live To Work?
Employees are now giving priority to their mental health over their cost of living, a recent study has found.
It’s the result of a paradigm shift in the culture of the workplace that has seen a movement away from the traditional “work to live” mindset of many in the workforce, where working was seen as a means to an end. Mental health and the issues and stigma surrounding it are now a considerable concern for many who currently are employed. Work often adds additional stress and impact to preexisting mental health concerns.
If you are currently in a work-to-live approach to your job, you may want to consider implementing the following in order to reset your thinking and reexamine your priorities:
- Leave work for the workdays and your allocated work hours. Free up your weekends and dedicate that much needed time for a reset and rest. Fatigue will accumulate over the course of the week, and allowing work to eat into your personal time can have a negative bearing on your mental health.
- Don’t work for more than 10-12 hours per day. In that timeframe, count any travel and preparation time to the work hours that you might also be incurring. You may only be working eight hours, but if your commute is long and you’re still thinking about work when you get home, you haven’t exactly begun to unwind from the workday.
- Be careful of how much you are investing into your work – you may want to be working at your optimal best, but fatigue, mental health condition and more can impact that ability. Socialising with friends, taking time off or taking up a hobby can be a great way to take your mind off of work.
With many preferring to quit their job rather than work for a company that doesn’t match their views on social matters, it is becoming increasingly obvious that employees have shifted from the cost-of-living approach to work towards a more socially-minded cohort in the workforce. Working on your career can be rewarding, and being in a position where you can comfortably do so can be of benefit to you. Take your chances and make your work and your life as comfortable as you can while allowing yourself to be challenged.
