Work - Life Balance, pt. 2
No 40-40-40
The 40-hour workweek is a staple of American working traditions. It was originally implemented by Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company to protect workers and ensure their productivity. Although established as a norm for full-time work it seems as though Americans are working much more than the 40-hour workweek. In a recent Harvard Business School survey, a whopping 94 percent of working professionals reported working more than 50 hours per week and nearly half said they worked more than 65 hours per week. Experts agree: the compounding stress from the never-ending workday is damaging. It can hurt relationships, health, and overall happiness.
Work-life balance can seem like an impossible achievement. Technology makes us accessible around the clock and fear of job loss incentivizes longer hours.
The U.S. is the most overworked developed nation in the world. At least 134 countries have laws setting the maximum length of the workweek. The U.S. does not. In the U.S., 85.8 percent of males and 66.5 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. According to the International Labor Organization, “Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers.”
Work-life balance can seem like an impossible achievement.
American Work-Life Balance
According to the Center for American Progress on the topic of work and family life balance, “ in 1960, only 20 percent of mothers worked. Today, 70 percent of American children live in households where all adults are employed.”. U.S. Department of Labor statistics support up this data and notes that 75 percent of employed women work full time. When all adults are working (single or with a partner), that is a huge imbalance to the household and free time in the American family. In addition, the U.S. is the only country in the Americas without a national paid parental leave benefit. The average is over 12 weeks of paid leave everywhere other than Europe where it is over 20 weeks.
Often, work takes precedence over everything else in our lives. Our desire to be successful professionally can drive us to set aside our own well-being. Creating a harmonious work-life balance is critical to improving not only our physical, emotional, and mental well-being, but it is also paramount for our careers.
Here are a few self-care tips to balance the work-life equation.
Let go of perfectionism.
Unplug.
Exercise and meditate.
Change the structure of your life.
Start small. Build from there.
Many people have opted for self-employment or participation in the gig economy, which is characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs. Good examples are Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Fiverr, direct selling, and network marketing.
I believe the key to work-life balance is better stated as a work life harmony. The key to this, in my opinion is to do something that you are truly passionate about. The most effective ways to achieve a work life harmony is to really enjoy, or find a purpose, in what you do for a living. Even though everyone is not always fortunate enough to find a position that pays them for pursuing their passion, you can strive to find meaning in what you are already doing or pursue something entirely new.
Our desire to be successful professionally can drive us to set aside our own well-being.
If you are open to pursuing something new that may be the answer to the work-life balance conundrum, we have two virtual events that may be of interest. First is our Healthy by Choice Master Class on the Nikken Wellness Home on Tuesday, July 14th at 6 pm Pacific time. This 30-minute zoom presentation will highlight the products and technologies of the Nikken Wellness Home and how we can be Healthy by Choice. We will host a live Q&A after the class. To join us click on the following link, Self Care Awakening Classroom.
Your second step is to join us for the Nikken Zoom-in on Saturday, July 18th at 9:30 am Pacific. The Zoom-in will feature the Better Way presentation designed to let you evaluate the Nikken business opportunity. This will be followed by brief stories from people in our business from just starting to established leaders, followed by a live Q&A. To join us click on the following link, Self Care Awakening Classroom.
Self-isolation and social distancing have mandated that many people work remotely from home. Work and life are more intertwined than ever due to the drastic rise in remote work and an increasing dependency on technology. Next week we will discuss work-life balance and how it relates specifically to working from home.
Be Healthy by Choice