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You work 8 hours a day. But add your lunch break, commute, and the number grows to about 11. Of course, you need sleep, which takes us to 19. Then there's grocery shopping, cooking, other home chores, taking care of your pet, driving your car to the mechanic, a phone conversation with mom, and I haven't even touched on personal growth, social relationships, and other important aspects of a healthy, fulfilling life.

Earlier this month, writer, editor, and podcaster merritt k asked Twitter if it's possible that working full time leaves you with making too many sacrifices, and it looks like many people have been asking themselves the same question because, in just a few days, the woman's tweet received over 257K likes and was flooded with answers.

We managed to get in touch with merritt k and she was kind enough to have a little chat with us.

"[I created the thread in an attempt to see] if I could successfully imitate the kind of accounts that just post really banal relatable things and get lots of engagement," she told Bored Panda. "It turns out it’s not that hard."

When asked about her own work-life balance, she said that it's actually great. "I’m the best at it."

"Read the Tao Te Ching," merrit k added. Written more than two thousand years ago, this classic is useful for those who want to master the arts of leadership in business and politics and develop a sense of balance and harmony in everyday life.

Continue scrolling to check out the discussion that has erupted in merritt's thread.

#1

People-Debate-Work-Full-Time-Have-Time

IamDawnWebb1 , PsychicxGoddess Report

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Gerard Neaux
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think it was designed with any worker friendly assumption like that. It was the best unions could get via strikes.

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Our modern lifestyle has resulted in a lot of work-related stress. Even if we look at data before the pandemic. In 2016, nearly half (44 percent) of working adults said that their job affects their overall health, but only 28 percent of those believe that effect is a good one.

People with disabilities, in dangerous or low-paying jobs, and those in retail are most likely to say their job has a negative impact on their stress levels (43 percent), eating habits (28 percent), sleeping patterns (27 percent) and weight (22 percent), according to a survey from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in collaboration with National Public Radio and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

#3

People-Debate-Work-Full-Time-Have-Time

ebeth1051 Report

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WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In some European countries women who have been housewives for all their life get a state pension when they are over 65. In the Netherlands it was done because it is a sign of equality of labor. Without housewives the economy would and could not thrive.

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Things get even worse if you have a heightened appetite for work. First of all, evidence suggests that putting in more hours each week doesn't necessarily equate to higher productivity, in fact, research tells us that productivity drops sharply after grinding 50 hours per week, and falls off a cliff after 55 hours. Plus, not taking at least one full day off per week lowers our hourly output overall.

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Overwork can also take a huge toll on our health. A study from the World Health Organization (WHO), for example, discovered that working an average of 55 hours or more each week increases your risk of stroke by 35 percent and your risk of dying from heart disease by 17 percent, compared to averaging a 35-40 hour workweek.

#4

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Rcktgirl05
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I question how much "raised 4 kids" this 69 year old man did. Not a personal attack, it was just a different era and different culture. There was no equality in housework and child rearing then. Just a fact. I'd be very impressed if he was a single dad with no help and worked. Then I want details. How did that work out?

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#6

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DJcbizkit Report

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Karin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So that we are too tired to agitate for better pay, better working conditions and social justice!

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As a result, a number of companies worldwide have implemented the four-day workweek and Japan's government has recommended it as national policy. It isn't a new idea, but the concept seems to have come under greater consideration since the pandemic has generated a broad reevaluation of how we work, including a greater work-from-home migration and hybrid office arrangements.

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The four-day workweek, ideally, should come with no loss in productivity, pay, or benefits. Depending on the company and the industry, everyone might work Monday through Thursday and have Fridays off but there are other possibilities, including allowing each employee to choose their extra day off or having a company-wide policy of a different third day off, such as Monday or Wednesday.

#8

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JenDragonQueen Report

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The Starsong Princess
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That’s simply not true. Only highly skilled working class and middle class families could afford a non working spouse devoted to the home and they were a minority. As for farm families, the farm wife worked as as her husband - canning, weaving, looking after chickens, vegetable patch etc. She often worked in the fields especially if the kids weren’t old enough to help. Yes, she tended the babies but that was on top of everything else and older kids were drafted to do that by around age 5 or 6. As my late grandmother said, her mother worked harder than anyone.

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#9

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DennyS (denzoren)
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is why I don't like when I see articles like, "Celebrity A wakes up at 2-4am for their routine" as though I'm being lazy. They have their own gym, kitchen staff, meal plans to be delivered....they don't have the same routine.

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A lot of companies have tried this practice but one of the biggest tests comes from Iceland. Roughly 1 percent of the country's working population was involved in a set of trials of shorter workweeks for equal pay, which ran for several years starting in 2015.

"The trials were successful," concluded a recent research report on the experiment."

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Participating workers took on fewer hours and enjoyed greater well-being, improved work-life balance and a better cooperative spirit in the workplace — all while maintaining existing standards of performance and productivity."

#11

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Ultrakion Report

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Amy Stone-Chandler
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just wanted to give you hugs. I am disabled but also suffer from horrific depression on and off. I chose tasks/errands based on what/when I have teeny bits of energy. If my dishes don't get done, or I don't get a shower that day, the world won't end.

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#12

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CoomarGadaffi Report

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DennyS (denzoren)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I worked once where it took me two hours each way to get to work....minimum 4 hours each day. I really liked the job but I had to leave after a year...it messed me up so much.

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One disadvantage reported in Iceland's experiments was that it was more challenging for managers to schedule group activities like training days or goodbye parties for departing staff. Some workers also said that the compressed pace made it harder to communicate handoff information to their colleagues between shifts.

A Gallup study found that people who worked four-day weeks had significantly higher levels of well-being and were less likely to feel chronically burned out. But they also had higher levels of active disengagement. "By working fewer days per week, employees who already feel disconnected from their employer, team, or manager are more likely to drift even farther away — from tolerating their jobs to hating them," Gallup’s Jim Harter and Ryan Pendell stated. That's especially important for companies that worry about worker retention.

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#13

People-Debate-Work-Full-Time-Have-Time

mmdavis95 Report

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Amy Stone-Chandler
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People who claim to do it all without problems are lying. Or jacked up on medication/alcohol

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#14

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adipose_regina Report

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Marcellus II
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair, mental health reporting goes up because it's being reported. A generation ago a kid in the class was "weird" or "dim" or "disruptive", now there's actual diagnoses like ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, Asperger's, etc.

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#15

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MagicChupacabra Report

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Brendan Roberts
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have a cleaner once a fortnight, who does the whole house. With both my wife and I working, and looking after two kids, our cleaner is a blessing! If only I could afford to have her every week.

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#16

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jdl_art Report

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Falcon
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good point. A mental breakdown takes less time than trying to juggle your daily life.

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#17

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angryaznautist Report

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DennyS (denzoren)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My boss doesn't even like it when we take a sick day or a personal day....imagine suggesting a 4 day work week...madness.

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#18

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JulianKJarboe Report

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Tami
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom worked full-time at their restaurant and also did the tasks of a SAHM. Dad worked there too, managed and maintained the business and did the bookwork, plus the maintenance tasks around the house. But they had little time to spend building our family relationships, which caused everyone a lot of grief in later years and robbed us of many valuable family experiences.

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#20

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chunterart Report

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#21

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WildMoonMagic Report

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ZAPanda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

step 1. Pandemic (unfortunately) step 2. Work from home step 3. Never return to offices. That will gain you about 2 hours per day.

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#23

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TheRedFallows Report

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Brian bell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

After a while it's the RE-associating part that becomes difficult!

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#25

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IndigoJones444 Report

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Tyler Bt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree. Also, we're going to need you to come in on the weekend too.

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#26

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KasiaHmura Report

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Tyler Bt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What? You have interests over than our company? Here, have some more kool-aid.

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#28

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SinksAustin Report

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#29

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VeronicaScars Report

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How TF can you even keep nice nails AND work (like type on a keyboard, answer the phone, file, etc) cook, clean, do laundry, take care of kids, and fix stuff that breaks? I stopped getting manicures and went for short nails and clear polish, because I actually USE my hands to get all that s**t done, and was wrecking manicures all the time.

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#30

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dmorenoks Report

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Monday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could use a few spams of motherlode and a single dose of freerealestate on

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#31

People-Debate-Work-Full-Time-Have-Time

alosar7 Report

#32

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LolliZombi Report

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#33

People-Debate-Work-Full-Time-Have-Time

optimalSCF Report

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#34

People-Debate-Work-Full-Time-Have-Time

archaica Report

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#35

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JulesLavish Report

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Curry on...
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The secret to dusting --- don't move anything, and don't let any light shine through, then you won't see the dust.

#36

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PaigeSuff Report

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#37

People-Debate-Work-Full-Time-Have-Time

jasonlathrop Report

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June
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Aaaand now I feel like I'm not legit anymore to be tired or busy because I don't have children. Here we are. Again.

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#38

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TheBurgerkrieg Report

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Norma Luce
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, there was a mother at home doing all the cooking and cleaning. If she had a good man she was recognized and appreciated as a full working partner.

#39

People-Debate-Work-Full-Time-Have-Time

PostCorleone Report

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#40

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Nirvbeatkissha1 Report

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#41

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NoDoubtVEVO Report

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Brian bell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Huh? Funny how my Dad bought his house for 14,000 USD and my brother just had to shell out 490,000 USD for a house with half the square footage, much older, needing work... But sure Abraham, we just need to go ahead and pull ourselves up by the bootstraps ...

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#42

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LordBaruch Report

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#43

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#44

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#45

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makingwaves561 Report

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#46

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MidwestHedgie Report

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#47

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HiPPyKiTTy Report

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DennyS (denzoren)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's sad that this has become "get on with it like the rest of us do"...and I really do admire my fellow millennials for not conforming and saying "wait a minute...this can't be right?"

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#48

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Monday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But if my hobby IS video games, shutting them down would just succeed in me cutting a category out of my life anyway.

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