Posted ByadminWe are sacrificing our time, energy, and even health for jobs that we could be replaced at by tomorrow. According to a survey from an employment site Monster, 11% of employees feel guilty about taking time off. Another 32% don’t feel guilt but they feel attached to the office, even on their time off.
This madness must end! Sloth is one of the seven deadly sins of the Christian Bible, but there’s a huge difference between sloth and rest. We are inundated by this societal message that if we are not accomplishing something during every waking hour, we’re lazy. As though there’s a moral failing to needing a break. We’re working 50+ hours a week, which ends up being counter productive, as productivity takes a sharp decline after 55 hours. It’s humanly impossible to keep up this pace, according to science.
Here are a few health effects from burning the candle at both ends.
1. You turn to escapism
After clocking out, we often want to forget the stress of work. We can turn to substances for relief, like alcohol or marijuana.
2. You aren’t sleeping
It’s quite simple really. We get up earlier and fall asleep later. Our bodies are not getting the rest they require. It can even escalate to driving while drowsy, which can be as deadly as driving under the influence. Poor sleep can also increase your risk of serious conditions, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
3. You feel depressed
Constantly being at the office, construction site, or even pulling an all-nighter can contribute to depression.
4. Your personal relationships are showing strain
Longer hours leave very little time for romance and other relationships. When your employer wants you to work on Thanksgiving and your family was counting on you to bring the sweet potato souffle, it can be a real bummer.
Society has taught us that taking our vacation days or calling in a mental health day makes us lazy. Lazy is that dirty four-letter word that’s synonymous with indolence. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Our brains need to recharge just as much as our iPhones do. As the adage goes, we can’t pour from an empty cup. So the next time someone implies you’re lazy because you’re enjoying a day of nothingness on your well deserved day off, tell ‘em, “Thanks, you should try it sometime!”