Should I have a second job? The advantages of a side hustle
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January 21, 2022Should I have a second job? The advantages of a side hustle
Although they have become popular and can help your personal development, you have to ask yourself if you really need them.
If you want more income, you have to think (first) about your mental health. (Photo: iStock)
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Having a side hustle or second job has become popular across the world, but the health of people who do these activities in parallel with their full-time jobs could be at risk.
Characteristics of a side hustle
- The idea is to earn additional income that you can save.
- A side hustle should never be a desperate option to cover household expenses.
- It should only be done if time is available. Otherwise, it will only cause other needs to be neglected.
- It must be enjoyable. It should never be a burden or something that wears you down.
We recommend our video about having a second job (in Spanish).
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Side hustle, by choice or necessity?
A side hustle is not always a good idea. According to a survey conducted in 2019 by the SunTrust bank, more than half of the workforce in the United States alone eventually turns to side hustles as an alternative source of money, amounting to almost 9,000 dollars per year per person.
This strategy became even more common during the pandemic, as indicated in a study by the Resolution Foundation in the United Kingdom.
The lockdown pushed thousands of Brits to develop new skills, polish those that were a bit rusty, and even venture into jobs they never imagined. Today, the side hustle economy in that country is worth 346 billion pounds.
37% of workers learned to bake or cook, 29% reviewed their administrative skills, and 23% learned to repair appliances.
Side hustles and health
Critics of this model point out that side hustles are just an attempt to repair the cracks in a damaged economy, in which there is no job security and the cost of living is going up faster than salaries.
An analysis run by the firm Go Banking Rates showed that until 2019, 46% of Americans were forced to have a side hustle in order to make ends meet. In the long run, this effort can have serious consequences on people’s health.
Meanwhile, scientific evidence indicates that working more than 39 hours a week is associated with cardiovascular diseases, stress, depression, and anxiety. Therefore, if you are considering getting a side hustle, first ask yourself: am I doing it by choice or necessity?
