Keeping up with the Jones, having the best career, and even earning the most money out of all your family and friends, are often things that you aim to achieve. Realistically though, is this materialist view, or take, on life giving you what you need and what you want. Of course, having fun and leading an enjoyable life will mean that you need to make compromises along the way; however, a compromise that is too far is one that you make surrounding your health and well-being. So, before you burn yourself out, think about what you want or need and why.
Why You Need a Balance
If you do not achieve some sort of balance within your life, you will struggle to find enjoyment, which means that you will most likely be constantly chasing a dream or illusion that never comes to fruition. Life is there for the taking and for the living, and if you do not embrace it, enjoy it, and love it while you can, then you will end up with regrets later on in life. Furthermore, without a balance, you will never get to enjoy time spent with loved ones as much as you should, and you will never truly appreciate what you have. So, focus on achieving a balance within your life as this will bring you more happiness than earning lots of money.
Why Overworking is not the Answer
It can be tempting to overwork and even work that little bit extra, but before you take that extra shift or that extra bit of work, you need to think about what you are getting in return. If, for example, you are having to sacrifice family life to earn a bit extra on a late shift – is it worth it? Will you get that precious time back? Overworking will rob you of valuable family time, but it will also affect your quality of work and potentially leave you feeling unproductive. Overworking within your job can affect your productivity and efficiency at work, making you feel that the job you are doing is not good enough. If you are overworked and feeling tired, then your actions and approach to work may not go unnoticed, which of course, could potentially be detrimental a little further down the line.
Weighing up the Financial Rewards
To achieve or find a balance, you need to weigh up what is on offer before committing. Knowing how much you need to live on and knowing what you need to spend will allow you to quickly and clearly see if the financial rewards on offer are worthwhile. So, what do you spend your money on, and most importantly, how much is enough?
- How Much Do You Spend – Every week and every month, what are your outgoings? For example, how much are you spending on rent, mortgages, homeowner loans, food, entertainment, and clothing. Getting your personal finances in order will allow you to quickly see at this stage what you are spending each week or month and how much you need to earn a month to cover your basic costs.
- How Much Do You Need? How much money you want and how much you need are different, and it is important that you do not confuse the two. The amount of money you need each month allows you to comfortably cover your outgoings, or expenses, while still putting a little to one side for unforeseen bills and emergencies. So, when you look at your personal finances, how much do you really need, and will that extra shift or a bit of work pay off?
Practicing Self-Care
When you are busy working, running errands, or just living your life, self-care can go right down to the bottom of your to-do list, but it should not have to. Self-care for any professional or worker is essential, and if you do not practice self-care regularly, you will find yourself stressed and tense, both inside of work and outside. Self-care can come in various guises, and the type of care you should give yourself will vary, depending on your lifestyle and your work commitments. So, do not feel that there is a one size fits all approach because there is not. For example, Self care for nurses will be different from self-care for office workers. Of course, no job or role is less important than the other, but what you do to look after yourself when work finishes differ according to the activities you have been carrying out in the day or week prior.
Deciding What You Want to Achieve in Life
Weighing up money and earnings and then getting a balance is much easier to do if you know what you want to achieve in your life. You can keep working yourself into the ground for no reason, or you can take a step back and look at your life from an outsider’s perspective. Stepping back and taking an outsider’s view or overview of your life will help you establish what you want to achieve and why. When you live life, work, and spend, it can be far too easy to just carry on as you are, but by stopping, you get the chance and the opportunity to really establish deep down what you want.
Focusing on the Future and Planning Ahead
To stop overworking and to find a balance, you need to find your happy place. Find where you are content, and find out how much you need to be content. Chasing money constantly is exhausting, and, as there are no real benefits of overworking, you have to question – why you would do it if you do not need to? Being content but planning ahead and focusing on the future will ensure that you do not succumb to the temptation of overworking. Remembering the negatives and downsides of overworking and focusing on personal care will ensure that your future and plans ahead look bright and positive.
2018 ·