Motivation Talk: Why Working 7 Days a week is Better than 5
Why is it important to manage a seven-day workweek?
You can feel more in control of your life by giving your workweek structure. Additionally, it can offer you a number of advantages for both your personal and professional lives. Here are some benefits of effectively managing a seven-day workweek:
Improved mental health
When it comes to working, establishing a routine and making a schedule can help reduce stress. This enables you to adequately get ready for the upcoming week’s events. Reducing your stress can help you keep your sanity, give you more mental clarity, and overall more peace of mind.
Increased productivity
Setting up a schedule for your seven-day workweek can assist you in prioritizing your tasks and make it simpler for you to maintain focus all day long. Consequently, maintaining focus results in higher productivity and a higher output of work.
Greater work-life balance
Working seven days a week may leave you feeling overworked, but scheduling your time wisely will help you achieve a better work-life balance. In essence, a schedule enables you to balance your job with family obligations, leisure time, and other commitments. This can lift your spirits and increase job satisfaction.
Tips for working seven days a week
There are a number of ways to help you stay on top of this workload, despite the fact that it may seem difficult to manage a seven-day workweek without your health suffering. If you have a strategy in place, you’ll be better equipped to succeed during this type of workweek. To manage working seven days a week, use the categories and advice below:
Meals
When you work seven days a week, you don’t have much time to prepare and cook meals. Additionally, you might end up making poor food decisions as a result of it. The following advice will help you maintain proper nutrition while working a full schedule:
Working long hours means you won’t have as much time to prepare your next meal. Spend time preparing your food in advance to make sure you have a meal ready to go. Prepare your meals in bulk and place them in the freezer so you can enjoy them later. Additionally, you can keep your leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer to eat another day of the week when you have a lot of work to do.
Keep a glass of water close by all day to stay hydrated. It not only keeps you hydrated but also guarantees proper performance and brain function. As the workday goes on, staying hydrated can also help you concentrate better and feel more rested and energized. To maintain a healthy level of hydration, drink plenty of water throughout the day, whether you chug it or sip it.
When you’re hungry, junk food may seem like a quick and simple solution, but nourishing snacks can keep your body fueled and nourished. Make sure you have wholesome options on hand, like nuts or other protein-rich foods. These could prolong your feeling of fullness.
Keep snacks close by your desk so you can get the much-needed energy boost. With a snack close by, you can keep working all day long until lunch or the end of your shift without having to stop when you get hungry.
While caffeine might help you stay alert, its effects only last for a short while. A caffeine high and subsequent caffeine crash can result from consuming too much caffeine. Additionally, it may result in unfavorable side effects like jitters or digestive issues. While you don’t have to completely cut out caffeine from your diet, be careful not to consume too much of it. Generally, limiting your caffeine intake can prevent unneeded burnout.
Sleep
Altering your sleep patterns can increase productivity and make it simpler to handle a full week of work. Here are some useful suggestions for managing your sleep schedule while working seven days a week:
Although working in bed may seem like a cozy option, it’s best to keep your work and sleeping areas apart. Additionally, working from your bed can make you nod off during your shift, which will reduce your productivity. Create a separate workspace, such as an office, where you can carry out your daily tasks if you work from home. You can train your brain to distinguish between each of these areas and their intended uses by doing this.
Caffeine can keep you alert, but it can also make it difficult to go to sleep when you need to. Avoid consuming coffee or tea at night in order to get a good night’s sleep. Its especially important to avoid caffeine right before bed.
Experts recommend that adults aim for an average of eight hours of sleep each night. By doing this, you can maintain your concentration, energy, and productivity throughout the workday. All of these lead to greater work performance overall.
Try to maintain a consistent wake-up and bedtime each day. Even over the weekend, maintain this schedule to help it become a habit. Avoid napping for longer than 20 minutes if you want to avoid disrupting your sleep schedule.
Work
You can change your workday in addition to your personal life to better balance a busy workweek. Utilize the following advice for managing a seven-day workweek:
Make an effort to leave your desk or workspace periodically during the course of the workday to take a brief break. Think about taking a stroll or meeting up with friends for a quick lunch. By doing this, you’ll be more productive once you get back to work. It can also help you feel refreshed and give you a new outlook. When you’re feeling unmotivated, taking a break from your work is especially beneficial. When you get back to work, you’re better able to think of fresh concepts and viewpoints that you might not have previously considered.
Put your most crucial tasks first, and spend the majority of your working day completing them. Organizing your day’s activities the night before will help you know what needs to get done first. Essentially, this helps you better prepare for the next day. It enables you to begin your workday with the appropriate attitude.
If at all possible, focus most of your workday on your most productive periods. For instance, if you are a morning person, start your shift early and concentrate on your most important tasks then. If you’re a night owl, stay at work until the wee hours. Adapting your work schedule to your peak hours can help you be more productive, produce more work, and produce work of higher quality overall.
Set measurable and doable objectives to help you get through your seven-day workweek. Having a goal to work toward can help you stay focused and become more productive. You can set short-term objectives like completing a specific assignment on a specific day in your upcoming week or long-term objectives like creating long-term goals. If it helps, reward yourself for completing a goal. For instance, reward yourself with a brief break if you accomplish a task with time to spare.
Make and follow a schedule to assist you in managing your obligations. List the tasks you have to complete in both your personal and professional lives. Then, create time allotments for each activity. For instance, you can set aside a certain amount of time for your most crucial work tasks, meals, exercise, lunch, and grocery shopping.
Making a written copy of your schedule can help you stay organized and focused during the designated times. You can use this schedule as a model and modify it to suit your particular requirements and obligations.
Leisure time
Even though working seven days a week consumes a lot of your time, there are still ways to achieve a better work-life balance. The following advice will assist you in managing a seven-day work week with plenty of time for leisurely pursuits:
Maintain an exercise regimen during the workweek, particularly if you are used to one. To stay fit and reduce stress from work, engage in your preferred form of exercise during your free time. Regular exercise can benefit both your physical and mental health, whether you run, bike, hike, take a dance class, or take a long walk. It can also make you feel more energised and prepared to handle your obligations at work.
Find time to unwind throughout your workweek. After a long day, taking some time to unwind can help you feel less stressed and help your mental health. Taking a warm bath, unwinding with a good book, or listening to music are some techniques for relaxing. Spend at least 30 minutes each day, every week, or as often as time allows doing something you enjoy, even if you work seven days a week and don’t have as much free time. After a busy week, scheduling downtime can help you feel like you still have some control over your life and keep you sane.
Finding enjoyment in life is just as important as completing your work-related duties. You still have opportunities to achieve some level of work-life balance even with a seven-day workweek. Schedule some time for a enjoyable activity or a trip with friends. For instance, you could go to a museum, an amusement park, or a restaurant with your loved ones. Changing up your routine at least once or twice a week can boost your mood, mental health, productivity, and job satisfaction.
FAQ
Is working 7 days in a row too much?
The law clarifies this language by stating that employees with jobs that reasonably require longer work weeks may be required to work seven or more days straight, provided that one out of every seven days in a month is a rest day.
What happens to your body when you work 7 days a week?
However, decades of research show that working more than 40 hours per week can have serious negative effects on productivity, family life, and health. According to studies, working long hours can eventually make you more susceptible to depression, heart attacks, and heart disease.
Is there a law against working 7 days a week UK?
You are only permitted to work a maximum of 48 hours per week, usually spread out over 17 weeks. The “working time directive” or “working time regulations” are other names for this law. By choosing to forego the 48-hour workweek, you can decide to work more. Under-18s are not permitted to work more than eight hours per day or forty hours per week.
Can you work everyday of the week?
Employers may work their staff seven days a week with Department of Labor approval, but only for a maximum of eight weeks per year. See the complete rules here. Additionally, the Department of Labor upholds the law on behalf of the workforce.
