Remember the song 9 to 5?
Dolly Parton sang about the plight of the working person, putting in 8 hours a day and barely getting by.
Well today, most people would be thrilled to call it quits after 8 hours. But unfortunately, that just isn't the case. We routinely log 10, 11 and 12 hours at the office every day and sometimes more. And the boundary between our jobs and our personal lives is getting blurry often causing severe burnout and tension on the homefront.
So why is this happening? According to the health website Mayo Clinic .com, there are several reasons.
First: Thanks to technology, people can now work from anywhere ” their home, their car and even on vacation. And some managers expect that--Also, if workers don't stay late at the office when asked, they're afraid they won't look like a team player.
Second: In this era of downsizing, employees are being spread too thin. They're given too many responsibilities to make up for smaller staffs, causing them to log more office time.
And one last way our jobs are taking over our personal lives: Both spouses in a marriage often have to work to make ends meet.
And with two people juggling their own schedules, it's hard for them to commit time to each other, their family and their friends. Sound familiar? If so, here are 2 tips that'll help you balance out your work and family life.
First: Manage your time. Do a load of laundry every day rather than saving it all up for your day off. And try running one errand every night after work. This way you'll keep your days off free.
And second: Set aside one night each week for recreation. Take the phone off the hook, power down the computer and turn off the TV. Then figure out some activities you can do with your friends, partner or family - such as making dinner together, playing a game or going for a jog.
You may not be reducing your actual number of hours on the job, but you WILL keep it from interfering with the things that really matter.
Well today, most people would be thrilled to call it quits after 8 hours. But unfortunately, that just isn't the case. We routinely log 10, 11 and 12 hours at the office every day and sometimes more. And the boundary between our jobs and our personal lives is getting blurry often causing severe burnout and tension on the homefront.
So why is this happening? According to the health website Mayo Clinic .com, there are several reasons.
First: Thanks to technology, people can now work from anywhere ” their home, their car and even on vacation. And some managers expect that--Also, if workers don't stay late at the office when asked, they're afraid they won't look like a team player.
Second: In this era of downsizing, employees are being spread too thin. They're given too many responsibilities to make up for smaller staffs, causing them to log more office time.
And one last way our jobs are taking over our personal lives: Both spouses in a marriage often have to work to make ends meet.
And with two people juggling their own schedules, it's hard for them to commit time to each other, their family and their friends. Sound familiar? If so, here are 2 tips that'll help you balance out your work and family life.
First: Manage your time. Do a load of laundry every day rather than saving it all up for your day off. And try running one errand every night after work. This way you'll keep your days off free.
And second: Set aside one night each week for recreation. Take the phone off the hook, power down the computer and turn off the TV. Then figure out some activities you can do with your friends, partner or family - such as making dinner together, playing a game or going for a jog.
You may not be reducing your actual number of hours on the job, but you WILL keep it from interfering with the things that really matter.
