Admittedly, modern life has its perks. The quality of life in developed countries has never been higher. For that, we can thank access to electricity, clean water, and a wide range of healthy and nutritious food. That’s not even getting into the luxuries of private transportation and the internet!
Unfortunately, all of these advantages have some caveats to them. To afford most of the luxuries that are available to us, we have to work and obtain the means for them. But with this also comes the tricky part of balancing our work lives and enjoying our labor’s fruits in our free time.
Many of us don’t recognize the detrimental effects of working too much or too long until it’s too late. Overworking is an easy road to get lost on, and by the time you realize, you don’t know how to go back. Below we will outline some of the most common signs of poor work-life balance. Check out all of them at this link: https://www.exercise.com/learn/12-symptoms-unhealthy-work-life-balance/.
The tightrope between work and burnout
Having a job you love is important. We spend most of our lives working, and ideally, we want that time to be spent on something meaningful and personally fulfilling. So, it’s only natural that when you find something you love doing, you will spend as much time doing it! But sadly, what we want is not always what is best for us.
When you are enjoying your job, it’s easy to have overtime sneak up on you. An hour extra to your workday might not seem like a lot at first, but when you combine it over a period of one month, it can end up being a whole work week plus! Extra pay is all good, but without leisure time, you could easily burn yourself out.
If you find yourself feeling aimless, checking your emails off working hours or late at night, or having trouble sleeping – you might be overworking. Being preoccupied with your job and neglecting things such as hobbies or personal relationships can be really damaging to your health, both physical and mental. Read more about it in detail here.
The most prevalent one nowadays is stress. Being “on” for a prolonged period of time, especially in a highly demanding and fast-paced environment, can put a lot of pressure on the body. High blood pressure is one of the first symptoms of chronic stress, closely followed by insomnia and weak immune systems.
Another sign of burnout that many people overlook is depression. The hints pointing to this insidious condition can be easily dismissed as being tired, “not in the mood,” or lacking motivation, but it is a slippery slope to more dangerous consequences. If untreated, depression could lead to drastic fluctuations in weight and even increased risk of heart attacks.
Returning balance in your life
There is no shame in admitting you have lost your way, and you need help getting back on track! The first step in gaining control of your work-life balance is becoming aware that there is an issue. After that, some professionals can guide you back to what you want to achieve.
The attention to mental health has gained a bigger focus in recent decades, and the stigma surrounding going to therapy or taking medications is disappearing. This is important because, as we mentioned, anyone can fall into the trap of as simple as overworking and experience degradation of their mental health.
However, the resources that are out there are very difficult to come by, and most people give up before even seeking help. It is vital to provide information to people about where they can access these services because it might very well save their lives! Folks looking for a psychiatrist in Corpus Christi TX should know where to turn if they need a helping hand.
A couple last words
Managing all of the sections of your life is not easy. When you have so many responsibilities like putting food on the table and taking care of the kids, it’s very simple to forget about your own well-being. Make sure whatever your priorities to never put your health second.
I live in a small Georgia town that you most likely have never heard of and I LOVE it! My house is more than full as I am a single mother of four & caregiver to my aging mother and uncle. Lover of all things Outlander. Goes to the beat of her own drum woman.