Monday, February 18, 2008
Today is Ontario’s first statutory holiday which celebrates the family. Our Premier Dalton McGuinty officially introduced this holiday after some 20 years of anticipating another day off. In our society work consumes a large majority of our time and energy.
In a time of constant change and the advent of newer technology which supposedly makes our lives easier, one would think that there would be much more time for family, however this is not the case at all. There is a huge pressure on workers to climb the corporate ladder and earn more money not only to survive but to make sure our family survives well. In 2005, Statistics Canada found that 40% of stressed out men and women attributed their strain to work pressures and the next 10% attributed their source of stress to money struggles.
Although, the province of Alberta has been profiting from this holiday for nearly 20 years now, many people, especially those who aren’t able to benefit from the time off, disagree with the introduction of this new holiday. A single day off means a few hours of work lost, however this doesn’t have to imply a loss in productivity. This leave allows workers the time to revitalize and de-stress in order to better cope with tomorrow. In actuality, the break may not only sustain productivity, but manage to improve it. This day represents a long overdue concern for our society’s mental health and if we’re fortunate enough we can even spend it with family.
© www.mentalhealthblog.com
Family, Mental Health, Ontario, Pressure, Stress, Technology, Work
5 comments
5 comments:
Hey Meg,
Are you from Canada by any chance?
I am. I'm a Queen's University , Faculty of Medicine graduate.
Love the blog by the way!
Thanks! Yes, I'm in Ottawa. Just finishing up my psych degree at the moment, trying to figure out what's next.
Hello meg, one day off, doesn't mean the people won't finish the same amount of work. They will give back with increased motivation and joy in their hearts.
We need more warmth in the society.
Couldn't agree more. Even if I'm told I can leave work early I become more productive.
True, holidays are never a loss of productivity. In fact, when people rest and relax, pursue their hobbies and simply be happy, the possibility for productivity in terms of quality and even quantity the rest of the working week will be high.
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