We’re also working more. Americans are working more than medieval peasants did, and more than the citizens of any other industrial country -- almost nine weeks per year longer than folks in Western Europe. Work hours are now up to 1978 hours/year on average, an increase of one week more than in 1990, with managers and professionals increasing the most. This is only office hours, so it doesn’t include time worked on weekends, or at home, cars or airplanes on laptops, cell phones, and e-mail. Combined weekly work hours for dual-earning couples with children rose 10 hours per week, from 81 hours in 1977 to 91 hours in 2002. How do these numbers relate to you? How much are you working?
What about time off? U.S. workers average a little over two weeks of vacation per year, while Europeans average five to six weeks. Many of us get no paid vacation at all and more and 1/3 of us don’t take even our allotted vacation time because of “too much work.” A recent study concluded that “Americans are the most vacation-starved people in the industrialized world.” How much vacation have you taken recently?
Some economists have argued that we are all overworked because as knowledge workers, so much of what we produce is not tangible—like a car or a meal—and therefore can’t be easily measured except in hours worked. So we all work too much in an attempt to prove our worth. That’s why taking no time for yourself has become a badge of honor. Who will be at work first? Who will be out of there last? Do you play that dangerous game? Many of us believe all this work is a good thing. I had a patient who looked at me the other day and told me, “Well, I took my first vacation in five years. And it took SO long to catch up when I came back I shouldn’t have gone in the first place!”
Stressed About Stress
62% of people say work has a significant impact on stress levels.
73% name money as their number one stress.
54% are concerned about the level of stress in their everyday lives.
Bottom line: This is why it’s imperative to practice your A2’ing (adapting and adjusting) every day so that daily stress doesn’t turn into distress and what I call Toxic Stress (any stress that becomes chronic and ongoing and is associated with feelings of defeat, helplessness and hopelessness).
Next: Working with no time off has serious health consequences.
