A new survey out today shows that a culture of ‘all work and no play’ in the UK is damaging family life, causing high stress levels, and creating an inability to switch off at home. The survey by Medicash surveying more than 1,000 working parents found that 83 per cent of working parents feel guilty about the amount of time they spend working, with 50 per cent saying it has a negative impact on relationships with their children, and almost half (45.9%), saying it caused problems in their relationship with their partner and caused them to neglect friends (25%).
The above is something that rings true with every parent I know. And despite the call for a better work life balance the truth of it is 99% of parents now have to work harder and longer to cope with the rising cost of everything from utility bills to food and childcare costs.
Do these surveys that tell us how guilty we feel really help? One the one hand you can never point out enough times that too much work is bad for your health, emotions and family life but on the other hand unless these surveys offer concrete ways to make organisations offer flexible working patterns how are many of us meant to balance up our life?
Of course, there are better ways to switch off when we get home, the biggest one being switch off tech during family time so that you can literally switch off and enjoy time with your kids. Aside from making your kids happier, it really does get rid of some of the anxiety that comes with being constantly in touch with work matters.
Other than that we’re open to hearing how you switch off and cut back on work. Are you caught in an all work and no play scenario? Do you feel guilty about the amount of time you spend working? Let us know your thoughts.