We love money.

We want more of it, and we think money can buy happiness. We live the mindset: the more we work, the more we get paid. For many of us, more work leads to more stress and a lower quality of life. We all need time to unwind spend time with loved ones, enjoy our hobbies, connect with friends, and generally live a more balanced life.

Studies show that Americans work longer hours and have more than their counterparts. Working extra hours can be detrimental to families, businesses, and paradoxically, the U.S. economy. The vast majority of U.S. employees feel overworked or overwhelmed at their jobs , according to studies and 70 percent say they often dream of having a different job. Only 10% of employees worldwide feel engaged in their occupation.

The growing economy along with greater wealth and labor productivity should mean early retirement and less work. However, the continuously rising economic inequality leads to overwork as the vast majority of Americans find themselves trapped in a rat race: low pay, few benefits, and the absence of health insurance are the typical norms. Millennial's work longer than their parents and grandparents and might expect to work until they die unfortunately. It is cheaper to pay employees overtime than it is to hire more people for the job.

Stress is the #1 cause of health problems and takes a significant toll on health. Occupational stress increases the risk of disease and contributes to depression and anxiety, among other negative health outcomes. America has the least paid vacation time in the world, and is the ONLY country without a national paid parental leave benefit. America is dead last compared to other countries when it comes to family-friendly work policies including paid parental leave and paid sick days. We all need to remind ourselves is that it doesn't have to be this way. The work-life balance is disappearing and it is important remember that we are still human beings and not just employees.