New data from 360 Living reveal how much we miss out on our real lives. And what we should do instead.

One day, we realize that we missed out the real things in our life.

We miss out on critical time with loved ones that can never be replaced. We lose time for our hobbies.

We get so caught up in work that even off the clock, we find it hard to “switch off.” 

All this adds up to a major drain on our overall well-being:

• British medical journal The Lancet published that working more than 55 hours puts a person at a higher risk of stroke, depression, and anxiety.
  (McGregor, J. Working more than 55 hours a week is bad for you–in many ways. The Washington Post, Aug. 2015)

• Our available time dedicated to our passions is on the lowest-rated areas of life in the 360Living.co survey from 10,000 participants (360living.co)

• 76% of workers feel tired many days of the week, and 15% of them even fall asleep during the day at least once per week
  (Chan, A. Most Workers Feel Tired At Work, Survey Shows. Huffington Post, April 2014)

• Sleep deprivation (even a 1.7 hour gap) causes the U.S. economy to lose an estimated $63 billion in productivity every year
  (Dusik, 2011)

• Nearly a quarter of respondents reported leaving seven or more vacation days unused (360living.co, 2017).

So, what should we do about this?

The dimensions of our lives are connected to each other.

Understanding and working with these connections is critical to create a solid and lasting foundation for living a good life.

Life is all about balance, and it’s only by taking a wide-angle approach that we can achieve that balance.

In the following are six concrete starting points to re-balance your life and optimize your work:

1. Hone your skills and reach your greatest personal potential while maintaining a good life-work balance
2. Discover what you love, develop your skills, tie them to your professional activities, and consider the many possibilities for achievement
3. Use your skills and passions to create something of value and to make positive change
4. Complete your Milestone Map to set smart goals for new personal achievements and build habits to accomplish them
5. Track your time and activities in the Weekly Navigator: identify your main distractors and dedicate time to the things that matter
6. Continue optimizing your activities and schedule; regularly assess your time and progress and reorganize elements that don’t work for you

The graphs, facts and recommendations in this article are extracted from 360Living, practical guidance for a balanced life.

If you like to get additional insights, free templates and tools to help you defined your structured approach to a balanced life, check the 360 Living Guide.

The next step is in your hands.