Are You Using Your Time Wisely?

Hi, my name is JaMeka and I’m a workaholic. Is it by choice or because I have to be? Maybe a bit of both? I haven’t figured it out yet but I have been told by one of my professors in my college days “JaMeka, you just don’t know when to quit.” That’s one thing about me that could work in my favor or kick my bum!

A Nation of Workaholics

Voluntary or involuntary, Americans are workaholics and it’s a danger to our health. I work full-time, I run this blog, I’m a wife, a mother to a very energetic 3-year-old who is all about his momma! I think the only time I ever have a meal where I can sit down and enjoy it without being distracted is when we go on vacation (without our son). I used to take an actual lunch break and not even look at my phone and just eat in silence. Since my blogging has picked up, I feel like I am constantly on my phone or tablet working on what’s supposed to be a break in my day and that’s my fault, I choose to do that – I just can’t stop!

I run a theme each week on our Instagram, it used to be 7 days a week but recently I changed it to weekdays because I can’t get as much work as I’d like done on the weekends so that’s a small change. Sometimes we have a free weekend but lately it seems like between doing things around the house and a toddler who throws a tantrum if he sees me working – it’s tough. My husband, Meshach is also busy fixing things because something keeps breaking down at home (the life of home ownership!) or working outside in our yard – so weekends for us? What’s a weekend?

I need to make some adjustments, maybe plan a lot better to free up more time to just relax. I used to not be a huge wine drinker and only had it on special occasions but now I’m finding myself pouring a glass with dinner each night. I guess I’m that stressed? Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my family, my job and blogging but I need to be better at balancing it all.

Time Off Could Save Your Life

Did you know that you can work until you’re physically sick? I have to see a cardiologist now. I have high blood pressure and its gotten a lot worse. Stress and not making time for yourself to recharge can lead to all sorts of health problems you wouldn’t have dreamed possible. The other sad thing is, in our country there is no such thing as a “9 to 5” job. Many people go on vacation or take a day off yet they’re still working on projects, answering/sending work emails, having video meetings while poolside for fear of being seen as “lazy”. Some people have time off as a benefit but don’t even use it even when they’re sick because they have a fear of their job security.

In Europe, there is an average time of 3 weeks paid vacation in addition to paid bank holidays. In the U.S. there is no federal law requiring employers to provide paid sick days and vacation days. The jobs who offer it have the right concept. They know that an overworked employee is not going to be a productive worker.

I Need To Take My Own Advice

At my job, we have 40 sick hours, 16 personal hours and you can accumulate up to 200 hours of vacation if you’ve worked for 10 + years (150 hours below 10 years of employment) which still isn’t bad compared to other companies. I could use my time more often to take a day off for the heck of it but I’m always saving it up so when we do go on a vacation it’ll be a nice long one (or a few short ones in a year).

So I just tough it out and opt to not take a day off to relax (which is probably why my body is warning me to slow down). My husband keeps pointing that out too. Maybe next year I’ll take a personal day for me every once in a while. I hope that in the future, everyone in my country will be offered paid time off when they’re sick or need some “me” time so they’re not stuck in a live to work mentality.

How many days off do you get each year and do you use all of them?