Are you Living to Work or Working to Live?

As a society we are prone to getting caught up in our work lives. For many of us it is all about “the grind”. We work as hard and as much as we can in an effort to earn as much money as possible. But what does this theory really mean when we are old and reflect on our life? The reality for a lot of us is that we would rather be anywhere else than work. We would rather be on the beach sipping a cocktail or we’d simply rather just be sleeping in. Living to work throws off a healthy work-life balance and may actually cause more harm than perceived good in terms on monetary gain.

Alternatively, working to live means devoting so much time and energy out of our lives with the sole intention of earning an income. Some of us go through every working week anticipating the weekend, as it’s the only time we feel as though we really get to enjoy.

Maybe there is no correct answer and it’s about listening to our own needs. Maybe it’s about taking the occasional personal day off and not apologising for it. Maybe we should continue to be ambitious instead of comfortable by looking for employment in something we are passionate about and really enjoy, whether that be full-time or even casual. Like most things in life, work is about finding a healthy balance. Too much of anything can be unhealthy and more detrimental than we may realise.

It is important that we are enjoying our lives and not simply working to get by. It is also essential that we revaluate the structure in our lives and remember to unplug to make sure we are looking out for ourselves.