Work-Life Balance

Work-Life Balance

The Dangers of Being a Workaholic & How to Find a Healthy Work-Life Balance

87% of working adults admit that they overwork!

How much do we overwork?

  • 5+ hours: 39.2%
  • 2-5 hours: 35%
  • Less than 1 hour: 13.1%
  • 0 hours: 12.7%

Are You a Workaholic?

According to Workaholics Anonymous, if you answer yes to 3 or more of the following questions, you may be a workaholic.

Do You:

  • Skip your lunch brake and do work instead?
  • Have trouble in any of your relationships as a result of your long hours of work?
  • Find yourself constantly thinking about work, when you aren’t at work?
  • Feel stressed when you are not at work?
  • Feel exhausted, burnt out or run down?
  • Hide your work from your loved ones?
  • Become irritated when others (i.e. family/friends) ask you to stop working in order to do something else?
  • Take your work home with you?
  • Work on weekends and/or vacation?
  • Work more than 40 hours per week?
  • Turn your hobbies into money-making ventures?
  • Often get home late due to your workload?
  • Justify working long hours?
  • Constantly overbook yourself?
  • Work while you are eating?

The Impact of Workaholism

Pros:

  • Sense of pride
  • Increased income
  • Experience & skills

Cons:

  • Accelerated aging
  • Burnout and exhaustion
  • Strained relationships
  • Higher levels of stress
  • Higher heart attack risk
  • Increased risk of diabetes
  • Decreased emotional well-being

Conclusion: The cons of being a workaholic far outweigh the benefits. Furthermore, Workaholics lead a life that sacrifices health for wealth.

For 87% of men and women, work affects their health in a negative way.

STRESS

  • Men: 58%
  • Women: 67%

HEADACHES

  • Men: 43%
  • Women: 54%

TENSION

  • Men: 34%
  • Women: 44%

WEIGHT GAIN

  • Men: 37%
  • Women: 44%

DEPRESSION

  • Men: 28%
  • Women: 29%

Prioritize Health Over Wealth

A wealth man can’t buy his health; But a healthy man will always have time to find wealth.

The Optimal Balance

The ideal healthy work-life balance would look like this:

  • Health: 34%
  • Family & Friends: 29%
  • Career: 24%
  • Other: 8%
  • Fitness: 5%

This weekly balance includes a 40hr work week, five 1 hour workouts, 8 hours of sleep per night, and a few hours to prepare healthy meals for the week.

How to Achieve “The Balance”

  • Don’t work more than 40 hours per week
  • Avoid bringing your work home with you
  • Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night
  • Exercise for 30-60 minutes, 3-5 days a week
  • Don’t skip breakfast
  • Prepare healthy meals for the week
  • Make time for family & friendships
  • Get a physical exam each year

The Important of Being Active: For the Sedentary Workaholic

FACT: The average american is sedentary for 21 hours per day; and only active for 3 hours!

Just 30 minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise immediately reduces body tension. Furthermore, weightlifting is shown to neutralize anxiety and depression.

Sitting for Long Periods of Time Contributes to:

  • Lower metabolism
  • Increased risk of heart attack
  • Increased risk of stroke
  • Lower life expectancies
  • Larger Bottoms!

FACT: People with sitting jobs have twice the rate of cardiovascular disease as people with standing jobs!

AS SOON AS YOU SIT:

  • Electrical activity in the leg muscles shut off
  • Calorie burning drops to 1 calorie per minute
  • Enzymes that help break down fat drop 90%

AFTER 2 HOURS:

  • Good Cholesterol drops 20%

AFTER 24 HOURS:

  • Insulin effectiveness drops 24% and risk of diabetes increases

What to Do if You Have an 8-Hour-a-Day Desk Job?

For many of us, sitting for 8 hours a day at our job is inevitable. But it’s the extra sitting outside of work that turns a serious problem, deadly. So … interrupt sitting whenever you can!

  • Stand at least once an hour
  • Sit on an exercise ball instead of a desk chair
  • Walk around the office whenever you can, or take a walk on your lunch break

 

About the Author

, Celebrity Personal Trainer and Fitness & Nutrition Expert headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ. He specializes in helping men and women achieve weight loss, muscle building, toning and other customized fitness & nutrition programs to create a Healthy Lifestyle. James offers private luxury personal training, 12-week custom workout plans, and personalized nutrition meal plans. Follow on Google+.

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