Work to live or live to work?
Written by Julie Starr
All work and no play used to make Jack a dull boy. These days it can make him physically and mentally ill, according to recent research. So how can you avoid these pitfalls and make time for yourself?
Claire Wales*, a 29-year-old journalist from London, says she was near breaking point in her last job.
'I'd spend the entire weekend worrying about news meetings. And then the whole of the week I'd be staying late, trying to dig up stories, and then going straight out to press dos. I never saw my boyfriend or flat mates, and when I did all I wanted to do was sleep.'
Claire says it wasn't until she took a break and went to Australia that she realised how stressed she was, and even that took some time.
'I'd be walking along a beautiful beach calculating the time difference to imagine what my colleagues were doing and hoping they weren't doing a better job than me,' she says.
Not working 9-5
And she's not alone. A Mental Health Foundation (MHF) survey in April found that more than a third of respondents work at least 50 hours a week, some as many as 60. Almost 14 per cent spend another 11 hours or so thinking about it.
The figures echo those found by Professor Cary Cooper, who leads a large research team at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology looking into occupational stress.
He says 40 per cent of white-collar employees work 50 hours or more, and blue-collar staff are also working longer than they used to. 'We have the longest working hours in the developed world behind the US, the longest working hours in Europe,' he says.
Missing out
Long work hours mean people spend less time with their friends and partners, and less quiet time alone.
Travel plans go down the tube, study ambitions go unfulfilled and dreams of fitness dissolve.
Yet these are all things that help guard against mental ill health and the physical problems that can be wrought by stress.
More than half of respondents in the MHF survey reported feeling irritable, a quarter anxious and a third depressed. Some reported specific mental health problems, including attempted suicide.
'Many people in our survey documented relationship and marriage
breakdown, loss of friendship, poor relationships with children,' said MHF Chief Executive Dr Andrew McCulloch.
Changing times
But why do we put ourselves through it? A large share of the blame falls on employers who foster a long-hours work culture and overload their staff.
'The big answer,' according to Prof Cooper, 'is that employers should adopt more flexible working arrangements.' With today's technology, employers should allow people to work partly from home, and adopt hours suited to both work and family life.
Many businesses are wising up to the fact that overloaded workers cost them money. The Health and Safety Executive estimates UK business loses £370 million a year through stress-related sick leave.
The government is encouraging businesses to provide more options, particularly to parents of young or disabled children. Lloyds TSB, Sainsbury's and Unilever are among many large companies to begin offering more flexible hours and initiatives such as time off to care for a sick child.
Yes men
But we need to wise up, too. According to London-based life coach Fatema Hossain, the question we need to ask ourselves is: 'Am I working to live or living to work?'
You've also got to start saying no to extra work, Fatema says. 'Ask yourself this question: If you're saying yes to more work, what are you saying no to?' Will the extra work mean you have to say no to seeing friends, going to the gym, or going out for lunch?
Getting the balance right is largely about organisation, Fatema says. You need to decide what you want to achieve in the week ahead, figure out what you have to do to achieve it - then DO it.
It's also about getting rid of clutter. Empty your email inbox, says Fatema: 'Deal with it, delegate it or bin it.' And get the filing done so you don't feel guilty or overwhelmed by a paper mountain on your desk.
You should also try to deal with emotional issues so they're not distracting you all day. Recognise when you have low energy, say at the end of the week, and make sure you don't invite 10 friends round for dinner. Instead, go out for dinner or make it another time.
And think about physical energy. 'People often say they're too tired to do anything when they get home. But a 15-minute walk before you get home can really energise you.'
Think about what you eat and how it makes you feel. 'At work, a heavy meal might not be the right thing, even though it's quick,' adds Fatema.
Attention seeker
Julie Hurst, director of the Work Life Balance Centre in Leicestershire, which runs workshops for management and staff, says it's also useful to consider what motivates us to work long hours.
For example, someone looking for self-esteem will work hard and be rewarded with praise. That feels good so they work even harder. The danger is that they'll take on more than they can handle, which leads to mistakes, and reprimands.
'Then their self-esteem plummets so they have a greater need for self-esteem so they take on more work,' Julie says. 'We try to encourage people to get their needs met outside of work.'
Someone looking for self-esteem, for example, might consider helping out at their children's school or a local charity.
Julie also highlights the importance of attitude - thinking about how interesting a project is rather than how demanding - and stamping out 'competitive negativity'. That's where someone says, 'I've got 100 emails to get through and someone else says, "Well I've got 150".'
'Taking part in that game can have really dire consequences for people,' says Julie, particularly on their health. 'They focus on problems rather than looking for solutions,' she adds.
In a nutshell then, we should work smarter, not longer. And keep on at the boss about more flexible hours - if not for you, then for the sake of your friends. Everyone knows there's nothing duller than someone who can only talk about their work.
*Not her real name.