The demands today to be the best in your profession are at an all-time high. From families pressing their kids to go to college to have a brighter future, to your boss needing you to cover extra shifts to keep their business running, the pressure is all around us, and it is almost maddening. It seems that most people around you in your professional or daily life have forgotten that mental health is crucial for a productive employee, as well. That is why an imbalance between your work and your personal life could damage the health of your cognitive state.
Work-Life balance is not a new idea. We have known about it for a long time; it just seems that some people have pushed it aside to keep up with the fast-paced professional world. The idea is that there should be a balance between the time spent at work or on your studies and your personal life. Even that last part seems to have been glossed over in the past years. Simply being at home with your family is not the only thing that makes up your personal life. Hobbies, friendships, physical activity, and countless other things need to be prioritized in your personal life. The imbalance creates burnt-out, resentful employees. This article will give you the five main reasons we should strive to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
1. Productivity
A poor work-life balance is a leading cause of what is known as professional burnout. Burnout is a feeling of such mental or physical exhaustion that one feels a lesser sense of accomplishment from their work. It is understood that if you are burnt out at your job, you will not want to be there. If you do not want to be at your job, resentment will start to form. When you begin to resent your job, you will procrastinate daily tasks and duties, or only finish halfway. If you neglect your responsibilities or complete them poorly, you will be replaced with a new employee.
This cycle is sadly common. Even if you are not replaced, you will decide to find a new job. Either way, starting over at a new job could be detrimental to your finances or future goals, as you will have to start over at the lower tier of a new company.
This lack of productivity can also carry over into your personal life as well. Mental exhaustion is not something that you can clock out of. Bringing that kind of burnt-out, exhausted attitude home could cause rifts between you and your spouse, kids, or friends. Without a good work-life balance, your lack of productivity could be your undoing.
2. Mental Wellbeing
As a piggyback to reason number one, a poor work-life balance will cause havoc to your mental health and potentially lead to burnout. Whether the imbalance comes from over-working or just the pressures put on you by upper management, this strain on your cognitive state will impair your performance. You cannot hope to jump any hurdles if you are not at your peak performance, physically and mentally. Proper work-life balance is crucial to a healthy mental state, just like a healthy mental state is crucial to a job-well-done.
3. Physical Health
If your life involves going to work, going home, going to sleep, and then repeating this cycle, you are neglecting your physical health. This is sadly the life pattern of someone with an imbalanced work-life cycle. A poor physical condition could lead to lower energy at work. This once again can lead to lower productivity. Physical activities should make up a portion of your personal life, just like family time and hobbies. Often, though, it is overlooked as it is deemed unnecessary. A healthy body will lead to a healthy mind, which will lead to a happier life.
4. You Live in a 3D World
If all you have in your life is work, life might feel a bit one-dimensional. Likewise, if all you have is work, then home, then work, then repeat, your life will feel slightly more two-dimensional; however, we live in a three-dimensional world. This means you must also set aside time for yourself. Whether this means going to a movie, out with some friends, or just staying in to read a book, you must take care of yourself. Find your third dimension and embrace it if you want to build a proper work-life balance and a happier life.
5. Life is Short
At the end of the day, life is too short to only worry only about work. No one has ever said they wished they had spent more time at work when looking back on their lives. A good balance between work and life will help you live a satisfying one. As an employee in today’s demanding society, it is easy to give in to the pressure and work yourself to a miserable state. Hopefully, this article will give you the knowledge and courage to do what is suitable for you and your mental health.
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