“Many Australians still see themselves as living in the land of the long weekend. But for most Australian workers having a sickie, knocking off for a smoko and taking long lunches are things of the past. During the last twently years there has been a gradual but relentless increase in working time in most organisations – so much so that Australians now work the longest hours in the developed world:1855 hours a year compared with 1835 in the USA and an OECD average of 1643.” (Rodney Tiffen and Ross Gittins, How Australia Compares, Cambridge University Press 2004 Table 4.25)
Only 28% of employees work a standard week of between 35 and 40 hours.
42% of men in full time work do over 45 hours a week (9 hours a day)
30% more than 50 hours (10 hour day)
Almost 15% work more than 60 hours (a twelve hour day)
In a recent newspoll survey, 80% of respondents agreed that people are spending too muchtime working and too little time with family and friends.
9 out of 10 believed family is more important than work, yet many are spending less time with their children.
A department of industrial relations report revealed that reduction in sleep occurs in people who work more than 48 hours a week.
Take a break!
No Guarantees 
in Hagia 1:8-10 Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD. 9You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD Almighty, while you are all busy building your own fine houses. 10That is why the heavens have withheld the dew and the earth has withheld its crops.
I can testify to the benifits of down shifting, for my family down shifting meant part time jobs for my wife and I. Since taking the leap, we have loved having more time for our two boys and our friends, and breaking the, business mentality, so we can better hear God. This has also meant not buying our dream home and the accompanying mortgage. (Which I liken to having your head filled with concrete. The concrete stops you from moving and blocks your ears from hearing Gods voice.) Yes there are down-sides, I have had to be more active in parenting and house keeping. Is that a bad thing, realy! Most importantly for me, I feel that I have found a place on God’s building team, repairing His house.