Is this how the world works?
Or at least how I see it
This post describes how the world works and I urge you to comment below and point out where I’m wrong.
For thousands of years people looked to the gods to give life meaning.
But once science took off, many began questioning religion.
Church attendance fell and with it, a sense of meaning and community faded, which left “work” to fill the void.
We then poured all our time and energy into it trying to find purpose.
But many did so at the expense of their health, only paying attention to their bodies when something broke.
And now that work has become mostly mental (thanks to computers and screens) it’s no longer breaking our bodies… it’s breaking our brains with people only paying attention to their health once their mind burns out.
Much of the fitness industry didn’t help either.
Instead of helping people find balance, it convinced us that being “healthy” meant eating kale, doing yoga daily, and living like a monk.
And who has time for all that if you’re grinding?
So most people continue to ignore their health because society rewards those who sacrifice it to get stuff done.
And anyone who needed a break got labeled as “weak”.
But things are shifting.
People are starting to realise you can do both. And that looking after your health doesn’t just help you do better work… it doesn’t even take that much time.
A quick walk. Phone off before bed. One Mars bar instead of two.
Some people say “I don’t have time for that.”
But the truth is they do.
They just don’t have the energy because they don’t prioritise their health, stuck in a cycle of bad habits, and are draining to be around.
Anyways, please don’t get me wrong.
Work matters and how we provide for our families is super important.
But let’s stop praising people who never set boundaries or take care of themselves.
Our medical system is already stretched thin as it is.
Absolutely agree with you and I’d even take it a step further. It’s not just about “work-life balance.” For so long, we’ve been searching for meaning and purpose first in religion, then in our work. But the real challenge is finding a balance that honours us as whole humans, not just workers or productivity machines.
As someone who’s been through burnout, I know how it feels: constant fatigue, feeling unable to give to people and honestly, just wanting to avoid people altogether. It’s isolating and draining, and it creeps up when we ignore our own needs for too long.
And as for the fitness industry, I have to say “wellness” is grounded in the domain of occupational therapy. Our role, as therapists is to enable people to thrive in all domains of life: work, rest, play, and self-care. Unfortunately, self-proclaimed experts sometimes sugar-coat what “wellness” really is, especially when it isn’t grounded in evidence-based practice. True wellness isn’t about extremes or quick fixes it’s about sustainable habits that support our health, well-being and happiness as whole people.
I believe it’s a paradigm shift from “work-life balance” to genuine human balance. When we look after ourselves in all areas of life, we’re better for ourselves, our families, our communities, and yes even our work.
I agree. Society needs to stop labelling the people who "push through" as heroes. I've had conversations with a couple of people recently where they were recovering from illness or medical procedures and a main comment was around having to rest at home. The guilt felt when doing "nothing". I've pointed out that their body is regenerating/repairing and as such that by doing "nothing" they're allowing their body to do what it needs to do.
Being busy is also an avoidance behaviour. Sitting quiet sometimes means sitting with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings and many adults haven't learnt how to cope with that so we just keep busy.
My mum will tell me how tired she is, but proceed to tell me all the things she did (for other people) that she didn't actually HAVE to do but it meets her need to be needed so she does it at the expense of her energy and subsequently her health.
As HuwT as also mentioned the advances in technology came with the promise of more time to spend doing other things, however what a lot of people are doing are working the same hours or more, so that they can earn even more money. Earning more money improves your wealth, but not your health. However, I think that also comes with the general societal value of wealth rather than living a good life. When you meet a person for the first time, the first question is usually, what do you do. Occupations then generally give an indication of how much money a person earns or what their education level is. You see doctors striking because they want a pay rise, but they're earning $400k a year, which to a person on $80k or less per year is left wondering, how much money is enough?