Hands up if you read your work emails in bed before going to sleep. We at FiiT advocate hard work and a healthy work ethic in the office. However, there’s a fine line when it comes to being a highly committed employee and letting your job interfere with your personal life.
So dear readers, if you feel like a hamster on a treadmill of the neverending cycle of work, here are some signs it may be time to get more balance in your life.
1. You’re forgetting things.
Your brain is constantly at work, with a million ideas buzzing through it all at the same time. The problem starts when you start missing out on appointments. That 1 pm meeting at Ubi Industrial Estate? Oops you’re currently stuck in a meeting and it’s already well into lunchtime. Avoid this by committing yourself to the appointments that really matter.
2. You have your lunch break in front of the computer.
Sure, sometimes you need to rush that report for the client before lunchtime. But do you find yourself doing it too often? And no, kopi-o and curry-flavoured cup noodles does not count as lunch.
3. You’re out of shape.
Don’t get us wrong, everyone has those few kilos to get rid of especially when we hardly have the time for exercise due to tight schedules. However, you should seriously consider taking a look at your worklife balance if you’re putting on an alarming amount of weight thanks to da bao-ing Sambal Fried Rice one too many times.
4. You’re constantly bombarded by mobile notifications.
When we’re constantly bombarded with these bits of information, it can be easy to lose track of priorities. Having information at your fingertips is good but when you get notifications from Gmail, LinkedIn, Skype every 5 minutes, maybe it’s time to put your phone down?
5. You get easily irritated.
Are your colleagues getting on your nerves more than usual? Going into a fit at the smallest mistake by others and losing your cool in front of your colleagues are obvious signs you’ve had enough and aren’t seeing things clearly.
6. You can’t remember the last time you had a good night’s sleep.
Do you find yourself frequently staying up late into the night? If you are finding sleep hard to come by or just not finding enough hours in a day to sleep well, you are selling yourself short and may need to evaluate your work-life balance.
7.You hardly make time to meet your friends anymore.
Social life? What social life? If you’ve been a no-show at more than a birthday parties and kopitiam sessions, it’s time to take a long, hard look at your priorities.
8. Your ever-increasing workload.
Does it seem like no matter how many hours you work at the office, new additional work will constantly pop up? Sure, you get to take on additional responsibility and more projects. While this may be a great step towards career advancement and a salary increase, ensure it is not affecting other, more important, aspects of your life.
9. You’re in pain – literally.
Throbbing headaches, stiff muscles, recurring backaches – this is your body’s way of telling you that enough is enough. A little bit of pain never hurt anybody, it shows your resilience and determination to get things done. But please take care of yourself, people. Apply Tiger Balm/Axe Oil or whatever works.
10. You are unhappy.
Perhaps the most obvious sign of all. No job is worth being miserable over. Spending your entire life trapped in a daily cycle of long MRT rides and working late into the night is a sad existence. Don’t waste your life waiting on your next paycheck or breaking your back to make others happy.
Moral of the story: Work hard but don’t overdo it. Here’s to a better worklife balance for all!
Here’s something you’d love: An employee engagement platform to spice up your work life! Get free and easy access to an extensive suite of corporate benefits – maximise your savings with discounted rates for fitness gyms, selected F&B outlets, optical chains and many more. Get these privileges here at fiit.sg!
