“Work to Live, Don’t Live to Work”
Many a time, we forget that we work to live! And to LIVE means different things to different people. The common thread though is our physical well-being. We all want to be healthy to LIVE and experience our lives.
Our careers have the potential to make our lives extraordinary. They also have the potential to completely destroy our physical well-being. Here are some things that we are doing that can contribute to negatively affecting our well-being.
1. Sitting All Day
“Sitting is the new smoking”. Doctors are telling us that sitting is equivalent to smoking and has the power to even kill us!! Sitting can lead to increased weight gain and/or developing health issues such as back pain and neck pain to chronic levels. The hidden damage is the lethargy factor that creeps in and can lead to loss of brain power. Movement induces fresh oxygen and blood to flood the brain releasing the much needed positive chemicals to enhance our moods.
2. Working Overtime
“Work expands to fill the time allotted to it”. By working overtime, we cause our brains and our body to function on minimum fuel. Similar to getting a car to drive 100 extra miles on 2-3 gallons of fuel. Abusing our bodies and mind to do more than they are meant to do on a regular basis leads to detrimental effects on our overall health and well-being.
3. Working Through Lunch
Our brains and our bodies are more powerful when they are allowed to reenergize every few hours. Lunch is a perfect time to feed our bodies and rejuvenate our minds. By working through lunch, we put our brains in overdrive mode and cause more wear and tear that ultimately leads to decreased productivity and reduced focus
4. Tapping Into Email After Work
Mindfulness has been proven to be the most important habit that is necessary for our well-being. After work, even if we are not doing anything important and are just driving or cooking or spending time with the kids, it is crucial to be mindful and present in the moment. Every time we distract ourselves by checking our email after work, we are truly not being present in the moment. It takes several minutes for our focus to come back to the task we are engaged in. This enhances the syndrome of the monkey mind where we cannot stay focused on the task at hand and deteriorates our performance in the long run.
5. Holding Back Our Opinions, Especially On The Stuff That Matters
Holding back our opinions all the time, leads to pent up negative energy in our bodies. These negative energies surprisingly manifest as various aches and pains and also as anxiety and stress. Our mental faculties are severely affected. The stress and frustration of not being able to express oneself takes a toll and may cause outbursts when least expected. Relationships are affected as well as we may take out our stress on people close to us.
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