Is unpaid overtime ruining your home or social life? Do you resent working through your lunch, staying late or taking work home? Maybe working more hours than you're paid for is the culture in your organisation and you accept it happily, glad to have a job... Maybe you stay late in the office or take work home because your workload would overwhelm you if you only did your paid for hours... Could be you feel valued or important or want to get promoted... Or maybe you're self-employed and there is no 'knocking off' time. Whatever the reason you work excessive hours, the effect on your health and wellbeing can be significant. Stress, anxiety, insomnia and relationship difficulties (including loss of libido) can all result from a poor work / life balance, and if unaddressed could lead to more serious or long term health problems.
So, at the risk of asking a daft question, do you really need to work so many extra hours? Is there something you could do that would reduce your workload? Ironically, I have worked with clients who want to stop smoking, but say they value their fag breaks. These short breaks provide an opportunity to leave the work place for 10 minutes and have a chat with fellow smokers. Clearly, I'm not recommending smoking as a healthy lifestyle choice, but getting away from your desk or work environment in your lunch break can make a difference to how you feel physically and emotionally and a walk in the fresh air can really re-charge your batteries.
If you are one of the 5 million + UK workers who do unpaid overtime and there's really no escaping it, making time to unwind and doing things for you is crucial. Many people self-medicate with alcohol, dope or food to cope with stress or as part of their wind-down process, but if you enjoy reading, listening to music, or a long soak in a bubble bath, why not factor that into your evening. Another night in front of the TV with a tray on your lap and a glass in your hand, is a night you'll never get back. If you really can't shorten your working day, make the best use of the time you have and enjoy your evening.
