Live to Work? Work to Live!

Live to Work? Work to Live!
By: Monica Eaton Crawford

Do you have a good work/life balance?

Is your job constantly running your ass into the ground with being held over, mandatory overtime, or just constant stress and a less-than-positive work environment?

If it's not mandated, are you your own worst enemy by constantly picking up voluntary extra shifts and overtime?

Here's the thing. We all need a paycheck. We do have basic needs to cover for ourselves and our families. But at some point, you reach diminishing returns and that paycheck comes at a cost.

A cost to your mental health, physical health, your time away from work, your time with your family, missed events and milestones with the people you love, etc. Sure, some of those come as a part of the job and it's tough with a 24/7 job to make it to everything.

But, where do you draw the line? At what point is sacrificing yourself for work not worth it anymore?

We work to live, not live to work.

We work to enjoy our income with family, some luxuries or a vacation. We work to enjoy our time off with loved ones, where we can actually be present with them and in the moment. We work to fulfill our career goals and to find fulfillment in the work that we do and impact that we make.

We don't work to destroy our mental health. We don't work to destroy our physical health. We don't work so many hours that all we do at home is sleep, or be so mentally absent we can't hold a conversation with our spouse. We don't work a 20+-year career to be so unhealthy that we become disabled only a few years into our retirement.

Monica Eaton Crawford is the owner/ CEO of Five-0 Fierce and Fit which creates online nutrition and fitness programs designed to help female first responders lose fat, gain strength and take back their confidence in 90 days because “your family depends on you to be fit for duty.” Using her six-year Oklahoma law enforcement experience along with her 15-year background in fitness and nutrition she helps female first responders reach their full potential in life and career. Look her up on Instagram @five0.fierce.and.fit.

If the scales have tipped too far in the negative direction, it's time to fix it. It's time to start setting boundaries. It's time to prioritize your mental and physical health. It's time to cherish your free time and make the best of it. If that means finding another employer who can support you in ALL of your goals (not just career), then it may need the positive change you need to make.