Achieving a Work-Life Balance to Combat Depression

Achieving a Work-Life Balance to Combat Depression

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 25 million Americans reported that they work more than 49 hours per week. 11 million of those people said they work more than 59 hours per week! These long days, weeks, months…years, even…might beef up your bank account—but potentially at the cost of your mental health.  Achieving a work-life balance is tough and people are struggling!

A new study from the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health reveals that working excessively long days can be unhealthy for your mental and physical health. The study revealed that women who worked more than 55 hours per week or worked most or every weekend (or both), had a decrease in mental health, compared to those who worked only 35-40 hours a week.

The study also showed that men tend to work longer hours than their female coworkers, whereas married men work longer hours than married women. The theory was that women were more likely to work longer hours during the week if they were in a male-dominated profession, and those who worked weekends were often in service jobs with lower pay. The types of jobs with interactions with the general public have been linked to higher levels of depression.

Women also often have the additional job of managing household duties and taking care of their family, which ends up increasing the total number of hours worked per week.

The study showed that unpaid housework and family care add up to extra hours worked for more women than men, which has been linked to decreased quality of health and mental state. Simply stated, those who are overworked—at the office or at home—are at a higher risk for developing anxiety and depression.

This leaves us to ask the question…how do you achieve a healthy work-life balance in order to protect your mental and physical health? Here are some tips for achieving work-life balance:

• • Respect your own needs and create boundaries. Find out what is truly important to you, make that a priority, and then let others around you know this need is important. Do you need one day off a week that is free from calls or texts? Let your coworkers know of your boundaries, and encourage them to reciprocate with theirs. This is more important than ever, with work-from-home being the “new normal” for so many people. Set boundaries for what times during the day you will work, and turn off your computer “after hours.”
  • Be aware of time. Take notice of things that eat up your time unnecessarily, and that may cause stress later. For instance, surfing the internet or engaging in social media can add many hours to your day. Are those things necessary, or do they cause you to stress about lack of time later?
  • Have a healthy lifestyle. Eat right and exercise every day, and sleep enough each night—it will make a huge difference in your overall health.
  • Focus on one thing at a time. In this day and age where multitasking is king, try to do only one task at a time that is worthy of your energy. This includes work and personal items—do work only at work, and try not to work during your playtime. This creates a boundary for yourself and a work-life balance for a healthier mental state.

For those who are struggling with mental health disorders while juggling work and life, Tahoe Ketamine offers several innovative and proven treatments that could help. IV Hydration Therapy can offer a relaxing break in your day, with the added benefits of replenishing vitamins and minerals that contribute to health and happiness, while ketamine therapy is a depression treatment for those battling severe cases of treatment-resistant depression.

Contact Tahoe Ketamine

Please contact us using the brief form below to learn more about ketamine therapy or IV Hydration Therapy. We’ll help you determine if ketamine is an appropriate treatment for your depressive symptoms, and help get you started down the path towards health, happiness, and wellbeing.