Many people nowadays work over 40 hours/week. In the case of students, some of them might juggle classwork with a part-time job.
Many people nowadays work over 40 hours/week. In the case of students, some of them might juggle classwork with a part-time job.
Not having a work-life balance can take a toll on your health.
There are many reasons why having a healthy work-life balance is essential.
Overworking can lead to no life outside of work
Unfortunately, many people mix work with life outside of work in the form of checking work emails or by doing work outside “work hours.”
By doing so, you’re setting yourself for a mediocre life. Your boss might be proud of you, but you won’t be.
Instead, set your boundaries when you’re going to do work, especially for people who are working from home. Do not do any tasks related to work outside of your “work hours,” or over 8 hours/day.
Of course, some employers may require employees to work over 8 hours/day or 40 hours/week. Again, do not do more work than what is required by your employer.
Better yet, negotiate with your employer about working hours, if possible.
To maintain mental health
Having no work-life balance can lead to mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and so on.
If you own a business/company, you may want to consider hiring employees to do some tasks for you so that you don’t have to do as much work.
If you’re an employee, avoid doing any work-related tasks outside of your “work hours.”
If you’re doing freelance work to make an income, take breaks to avoid stressing yourself out.
To stay productive
If you’re stressed out from work, then you won’t be productive.
Stressed out people tend to focus more on how to take breaks and are more likely to get distracted than people not under stress.
As a college student myself, the amount of coursework from my classes is already stressing me out on some days.
If you’re in school, spread your work throughout the day instead of doing it in one session, as long as you finish before the deadline.
Also, as a college student, avoid taking more than 15 credit hours (or five classes per semester, depending on your college) to prevent unnecessary stress.
To prevent burnout
Lack of work-life balance can also lead to job burnout.
According to MayoClinic, Job burnout is a type of stress from work that senses fewer accomplishments and loss of who you are.
Unfortunately, people with job burnout face a greater risk of having fatigue, heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, etc.
To prevent this, take a break from work when needed, sleep 8–9 hours/night, depending on your age, and meditate.
Imagine how having a proper work-life balance will help you succeed in life.
Having a work-life balance means more time to spend on your passions or connect with your family and friends.
Your mental and physical health will be improved when you are not overwhelmed with your work (course load, if you’re a student).
Next, make sure that you don’t take more work than you can handle (if possible) to avoid getting stressed out.
This article was originally published on Medium
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