Work
Plan, Develop, Achieve
Daily time commit:
70 mins +
Work is good for your well-being
Paid Work brings well-being benefits with it, laid out further below, as well as a source of income.
It is, however, important not to Work too many hours as this can have a detrimental impact on your health. Studies have shown that 8 hours of paid work per week is enough to gain the maximum well-being benefits of work, whereas more than 48 hours per week has negative consequences.
The optimal number of hours of paid Work per week should ensure that you have enough time for all of the other areas of The Framework too, such as getting enough Sleep, Exercise, good Food and being able to Socialise, whilst still enjoying the sense of purpose and independence that working brings.
The benefits of Work
In addition to the income and independence that paid Work brings, below are the benefits of Work on your mental health and well-being.
Work is good, but not overwork!
The benefits, however, diminish with too much work (over 48 hours per week) as there is not enough time and too much exhaustion to care for yourself properly, having negative consequences on your health. The added occupational stress, anxiety, sleep problems, and diminished concentration caused can also impact negatively on your family and social relationships, and further lead to burnout and depression.
Work is therefore a key area for your overall sense of fulfilment and well-being, but it is important that you do prioritise your own well-being and demand that, while your place of Work appreciates your input during your contractual hours, it recognises the importance of downtime and ensures that you can get enough of it. This will keep you performing at your best over the long-term.
Mortality rate caused by long working hours
The World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation estimated that long working hours led to 745,000 deaths and 23.3 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from stroke and ischemic heart disease in 2016.
The study compared people who worked 55 hours or more per week with those who worked between 35-40 hours per week and its findings are below.
Love what you do
You spend so much of your time at Work that you want it to be somewhere that you are happy.
It is important not to dislike what you do for Work otherwise you will spend so much of your life unhappy.
How do you find Work that you love?
The key is to find meaningful Work in a role and a Company that fits with your core values, personal goals, and passions; or that offers you the space to shape these for the Company as you see fit.
To do this, you first need to be clear about what your personal goals, core values, and passions are. You also need to understand your skillset, what you can offer and what you might need to Learn in order to land your dream role.
Know Your Core Values
Think about what is important to you and why, to identify your core values (review periodically)
- Increases your confidence
- Makes it easier to take decisions
- Helps you to find your purpose
Know Your Personal Goals
Imagine your ideal life and plan to realise it, aligning each step of your plan with your values
- Provides direction
- Triggers new behaviours
- Increases motivation
Understand Your Skillset
Conduct a skills audit, and get feedback from others for completeness
- Increases your self-awareness
- Identifies roles that best use your strengths
- Helps you to market yourself effectively
Choose Meaningful Work
Meaningful Work should motivate you and inspire you to do the best Work that you can.
- Do the employer's values align with yours?
- Will the role help you to achieve a personal goal?
- Does the role use your top skills?
- Is there the flexibility that you need?
Find a job you love, and you will never Work a day in your life."
Anonymous
HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU WORK A WEEK, ON AVERAGE, AND WHY?
Get in touch to let us know or to ask us any questions
