May is Mental Health Awareness Month
“Work Life Balance” Here is a good read from Mental Health America:http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/work-life-balance
Work allows you to provide for yourself and your family while also serving a purpose in the community, but when it takes over your life, it can negatively affect your health.
Work Life Balance is Important
Of adults employed full time in the U.S., nearly 40% reported working at least 50 hours per week, and 18% work 60 hours or more.1
People who feel they have good work-life balance are more satisfied with their job and their life, and experience fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.2
Health suffers when work takes over your life
More than half of people who responded to the MHA’s Work Health Survey say that they do unhealthy things (e.g. drinking, drug use, lashing out at others) to cope with workplace stress.3
Over 75% of people are afraid of getting punished for taking a day off to attend to their mental health.3
The mental and physical health impacts of workplace burnout and stress are estimated to cost as much as $190 billion per year ($6,025 per second) in healthcare spending in the U.S.4
Poor work-life balance increases your risk for health conditions like sleep problems, digestive disorders, and mental health problems. This is especially true for people who work long shifts or on nights and weekends.5
Sources:
1 Saad, L. (2014). The “40-Hour” Workweek is actually longer – by seven hours. Gallup.
2 Haar, J., Russo, M., Sune, A., & Ollier-Malaterre, A. (2014). Outcomes of work-life balance on job satisfaction, life satisfaction and mental health: A study across seven cultures. Journal of Vocational Behavior 85(3):361-373.
3 Proprietary data. Mental Health America Work Health Survey.
4 Blanding, M. (2015, January 26). National Health Costs Could Decrease if Managers Reduce Work Stress. Retrieved from https://hbswk.hbs. edu/item/national-health-costs-could-decrease-if-managers-reduce-work-stress.
5 Wirtz, A. & Nachreiner, F. (2010). The effects of extended working hours on health and social well-being – a comparative analysis of four independent samples. Chronobiology International 27(5): 1124-1134.