Achieving Harmony: Nurturing Well-being in a Fast-Paced World

In today’s society, our well-being often takes a backseat to the demands of our professional lives. Striking a balance between work and personal needs is crucial for maintaining a high quality of life and safeguarding our physical, mental, and emotional health.

The international classification of diseases recognizes burnout as a work-related phenomenon, but its causes extend beyond the workplace. With the rising cost of living, a lot of people work tirelessly to make ends meet.

However, this relentless pursuit often results in neglecting essential aspects of life.

Whether working for a company or engaging in individual businesses, we dedicate countless hours to our professional lives, leaving little time for nourishing meals, adequate rest, and quality time with loved ones. The consequences of this imbalance are often underestimated.

Even for those facing the responsibility of providing for their families, it’s essential to find a work-life equilibrium. Life encompasses more than work, and neglecting personal well-being can have long-term repercussions on health.

The excessive focus on work, coupled with insufficient time for activities like sports, walks in nature, or simply relaxation, can contribute to issues such as post-traumatic stress, fatigue, nutritional imbalances, and strained relationships. It’s crucial to recognize the signs and prioritize self-care.

If you feel trapped in a cycle of stress and exhaustion, it’s important to realize that no salary is worth compromising your health. While changing your current situation might not be immediately feasible, incorporating daily activities promoting well-being is crucial to achieving a healthier work-life balance.

Remember, life extends beyond the confines of the workplace. Family, friends, and health are integral parts of a fulfilling life. Work may be important, but it shouldn’t consume your entire existence. Strive for a harmonious balance, as your relationships and health are irreplaceable.

In the grand scheme of things, your job may be replaceable, but your family, friends, and well-being are not. Prioritize self-care to lead a happier, healthier life. After all, nothing is worth sacrificing your happiness for. Your work will go on, but your relationships and health require your mindful attention. Take the necessary steps to care for yourself and embrace a life that goes beyond the confines of the workplace.

Do you think you care enough for your well-being?

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Would You Recognize Anxiety in One of Your Friends?

If you have been lucky enough not to have suffered from anxiety disorders, you may not understand what it means to be in such a situation of psychological distress.

Family or friends, mostly out of fear, tend to think that the person suffering is not strong enough or determined to get out of it.  However, no one chooses to be anxious or depressed, and no one has the magic wand to put an end to such suffering.

Moreover, people who suffer from anxiety are not as easily spotted as you may think. Many victims of anxiety often wear an unconscious mask of confidence and apparent happiness.

They want to hide a disorder that is very difficult to live with because they feel the constant apprehension of revealing it to their loved ones. Anxious people would not want to cause additional worries that could be difficult for their family and friends to deal with. They are also afraid that the relationships could be strongly impacted.

Therefore it may be difficult for families and friends to detect or recognise anxiety disorders.

However, if one of your friends in distress would end up speaking to you about their true condition, then you could try to provide appropriate support. Dialogue, emotional presence and referral to health professionals such as a psychotherapist who would help identify the basic problem are some of the first steps towards healing.

Would you like some tips on getting rid of anxiety? Have a look here!

Would More Money Make You Happier?

Markus Persson, a Swedish 36-year-old business man, spends his time on Twitter, where he talks about his life and that of his company. One day, he twitted something that will change his life.

Markus created in 2009 the video game called Minecraft, a kind of virtual Lego game that has become a social phenomenon. But, all of a sudden, he ends up getting tired of running his business, Mojang.

So, one evening in June 2014, he announced on Twitter that he would sell Mojang. In no time one IT giant contacted him and bought it for 2.5 billion dollars (2.2 billion euros).

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

On permanent vacation or lying in his luxury villa, he continues to tell about his life on Twitter: he complains that he no longer sees his friends, that parties in Ibiza have become boring…to make a long story short, he gets depressed.

Markus may be the victim of what is called the “Easterlin Paradox“, after the name of the economist who demonstrated it. Richard Easterlin has observed over several years that while the per capita income in the US increased, the proportion of people saying being “very happy” did not increase at the same time.

Later, other researchers found that the more money you made, the happier you felt but there was a limit: up to 75,000 dollars (about 68,000 euros) per year per household. Over this amount of money, the extra money would not make you happier!

Markus earned far more than 75,000 dollars but he has no friends, no plans for the future, and he is also depressed. He even ends up arguing with lots of people on Twitter, making comments deemed racist and misogynist.

As a result, in 2019 the big IT company who bought his business does not invite him to the 10 year anniversary of Minecraft, and deleted his name from the credits of the game. Markus gained a lot of money, but he also lost a lot.

Do you agree with the Easterlin Paradox? Would you be happier with more money? Would 75,000 dollars be enough to have a happy life? In my case, I would be definitely happy with 75,000 dollars a year!

Photo by Lidya Nada on Unsplash