The #1 Killer of American Workers Is... THEIR WORK.It's TRUE! According to Center for American Progress, American workers are the most OVERWORKED developed nation IN THE WORLD.
* In 1960, 20% of American mothers worked. Today, 70% of all American children live in households where ALL adults are employed.
* The U.S. is the ONLY country in the Americas WITHOUT paid parental leave benefit. The average is over 12 weeks paid leave anywhere other than Europe, and 20 weeks in Europe.
* American workers work 137 hours a year more than Japanese workers, 260 hours more a year than British workers, and 499 hours a year more than Frenchworkers.
* In the US 85.8% of males work more than 40 hours a week, and 66.5% of females work more than 40 hours a week.
The increased work demands placed on American workers take a tremendous toll over time, as we struggle to maintain a healthy family/work/self balance. There is even a field of study dedicated to the phenomenah of overworked Americans. Some relevant boosk that have been written on the subject include:
* The White-Collar Sweatshop by Jill Andresky Fraser.
* The Overworked American by Juliet Schor.
* The Working Life by Joanne B. Ciulla.
Being overworked can lead to more stress that manifests itself in the following ways:
* Fatigue
* High Blood Pressure
* Heart Disease
* Substance Abuse
* Lost Time With Loved Ones
* Spousal/Child Abuse
* Anger Management/Road Rage
* Early Death
* Suicide
There is only 168 hours in the week. One way to deal with stress is to understand what is causing it. To effectively do this, keep a STRESS journal, or log of things that create stress in your life for THREE days. To get a better handle on your time management, I suggest you use a calculator to determine a starting point for your persdonal work/life balance.
The demands we face in trying to manage our time, keep our calendars in order and have time to ourselves manifest itself in increased stress levels. Stress takes a tremendous toll on individuals emotionally and physiologically in the form of:
Fatigue
High Blood Pressure
Heart Disease
Substance Abuse
Lost Time Not Spent With Loved Ones
Spousal/Child Abuse
Anger Management/Road Rage
Early Death
Suicide
You need to find the time to make your own personal time. Some strategies to this include:
* Pick a time of day that is ALL yours. Communicate to all there are NO exceptions .
* Rediscover your interests/passions.
* Make time to exercise to increase your energy level and makes you MORE productive.)
* Slowly introduce more activities that are important/special/relaxing to YOU.
* NURTURE YOURSELF - Eat healthy, get MORE sleep.
* Seek professional help – does your employer offer an Employee Assistance Program?
I have developed a new suite of programs for organizations to help their employees in the following areas:
* Manage Chaos to Sieze Opportunities
* Work/Family/Self Balance...It IS Possible
* Time Management: OWN Your Calendar
* Reduce Stress...to Your Health!
Contact The Chazin Group to obtain more information on these exciting new programs.
