UNITED STATES—Look, I will just say it: Americans work too much! We spend more time at our workplace than we spend at home or with family during the week. That’s unnerving, that is scary and it just seems wrong in so many ways. Why are we becoming a country that is SO FOCUSED on work instead of family? Yes, I know America is a capitalist country and it’s all about making money, but money can only go so far in life. Money comes and goes people; it doesn’t stay with anyone forever.

I feel like I work too much and because of that I’m finally taking a well-deserved vacation. I haven’t had a true vacation in years and it has taken a toll on my body. Your body can only take so much physically before you crash and burn. Some people fail to realize that, when you push your workers too hard you make one of two things happen: they get lazy or they start looking for other places of employment. The demands that some bosses have for their workers can sometimes be above and beyond the norm.

You cannot expect someone to breathe a job 24/7 when they don’t own the company or a share in the company. Heck, even those billionaires in the world aren’t working 24/7! They understand the importance of taking time away from work and decompressing to rejuvenate. Your body cannot work without a break, even though so many people seem to think so. Go ahead try it, I guarantee your body will eventually burn out from it, you will get exhausted, you will get frustrated and at some point it will hit you like a million breaks. Once struck, you’ll have a ton of trouble recuperating; it ain’t going to happen overnight.

So I have personally made it a rule of thumb for me to have what I call a down time day during the week. Look, I’m a busy person, rather its school, work or work, then its family, I get one day of the week where I don’t have to work and I don’t have to go to school. As a result, I’m not doing anything on that day of the week, which happens to be Saturday. I don’t care what happens at either of my jobs; guess what: I’m not at work so figure it out without my assistance. Don’t text me, don’t email me, and don’t call me, plain and simple: don’t pester me.

Whatever that problem is figure it out. C’mon it is exhausting and how in the world am I supposed to relax if every time I attempt to decompress someone wants something. Work is not supposed to be 24/7, and I for one refuse to actually work around the clock. I just don’t see the point of it because in doing so you’re failing to live and enjoy life to its fullest. You don’t get the opportunity to stop and smell the roses, take in the fresh air, watch a TV show or movie, spend time with your kids, family or do something that brings you joy. Work is just that: work. You work to pay bills and live comfortable. Your life should not revolve around work. I will NEVER forget something that a professor told me once, and at the time I did not fully understand it, but now I do.

You work to live; you should not live your life to work. Some people get it, some people don’t, but its simple: work should NOT dictate your life, you have the power to choose what you do and how you live life. The power is in your hands so make choices that best accommodate your needs. Some of us give 200 percent if not more to our jobs, when in reality we’re only receiving 75 percent from the company we slave for.

Written By Zoe Mitchell