- 40% of workers say their job is very or extremely stressful
- 25% view their jobs as the #1 stressor in their lives
- 3/4 of employees believe that workers today have more job-related stress than a generation ago
- 29% of workers feel quite a bit or extremely stressed at work
Nigel Marsh, author of “Fat, Forty and Fired” and “Overworked and Underlaid,” claims that all the talk of “flexy time” and “dress down Fridays” merely masks the true issue — that certain jobs are “fundamentally incompatible” with workers being engaged with young families.
Does that sound like your situation? Regardless, it’s safe to say that we let work overwhelm us and, consequently, neglect our families and friends. The fix? While we’ve all heard stories about inspiring social entrepreneurs stomping out of their desk jobs to be full-time “bloggers” and “PR gurus,” that option isn’t right for everyone. And the cure may not be as dramatic as we think.
Marsh says that it’s up to individuals to take control of the lives they want to lead — not to rely on employers to design the perfect work-life balance that they need. According to Marsh, we need to take control of our lives on a small-scale level, which will improve our quality of life and overall work-life balance.
“Never put the quality of your life in the hands of a commercial corporation.”
We need to be aware the the time frame for creating balance — which requires us to be realistic and plan long-term, not just immediate decisions. We also need to find balance in our planning (to be balanced — yes, I know it’s confusing). We need to tend to all areas — emotional, spiritual, and physical.
The small things matter, says Marsh, “Being more balanced doesn’t mean dramatic upheaval in your life.” The smallest changes can transform your life and even transform society. We need to make little changes towards becoming a more thoughtful and balanced society, changing our definition of success from what it is now. Instead of aiming for wealth or power, we should shoot for the success that comes from maintaining a healthy balance at work, being able to spend quality time with our families, and being all-around happier, healthy individuals.
