You May Be a Workaholic if...
By Scott Brown |
We usually write about improving your resume, making an impression at the
interview, and landing the perfect job. However, this week’s topic is about the
dangers of overdoing it. We all want to have a great career and a satisfying
life, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. There’s nothing
wrong with taking pride in your work and putting extra time into your job. But
if the extra focus you put on work is having a negative effect on how much you
can enjoy life, you could be a workaholic!
I work hard, but am I
a workaholic?
Just because you work hard, it doesn’t mean you’re
a workaholic. If you love your job and enjoy the time you spend working, there’s
nothing wrong with that. But if your commitment to your job is coming at the
expense of other important things in your life, you may want to look for ways to
regain some balance. Here are some things to look out for:
- You find
yourself canceling things in your schedule that aren’t work related.
-
You bring your work everywhere, and it’s always on your mind. You sometimes stay
awake worrying about work the next day.
- When you get out to social
functions or get together with family and friends, you find yourself talking
about work more than anything else.
Don’t get me wrong. Your career is
and should always be a large part of your adult life. Your career is part of
your identity and who you are as a person, but it shouldn’t be the only part of
who you are. Remember that you’re working in order to live a comfortable life.
If you don’t have time for a life outside of work, you’re not truly living!
Especially if you’re working in order to provide a better life for your family,
spending time with them too will keep you motivated at work and make you more
productive in both aspects of your life.
How you can help
yourself
If you think you may be a workaholic, there are
practical ways to improve your quality of life. Here are a few ideas you can use
right away:
- Take care of yourself. Workaholics are notorious for
neglecting their health. You may not realize it, but your health is worth a
million dollars! Think of how much money you’d have to pay to get a heart
transplant, or for other major surgeries to repair your body. When you add it
all up, you’ll see you can’t afford not to take care of yourself. Eating right
and getting exercise are essential. Being healthy should be your first priority
always, because without your health, nothing else matters.
- Another idea
is to plan how much work you will do in one day and stick to it. That way you’ll
be less likely to go overboard because you don’t know where to draw the
line.
- Reserve the time for friends and family. Whether it’s Saturday
and Sunday or Wednesday and Thursday, use your time off to spend time with your
loved ones. Make a pact with yourself that your time off will only be spent with
the ones you care about most- that means no co-workers!
- Last but not
least, always make time for yourself. Take up a hobby if you don’t have one
already. There needs to be a time where you spend time appreciating you. Whether
you like to hit the gym, play a sport, or curl up with a great book, there needs
to be some you time. No matter what goes on at work, you need to have something
to look forward to at the end of the week. Even if it’s just taking a bubble
bath or renting your favorite DVD, I guarantee it will make a
difference.
About the Author
Scott Brown is the author of the Job Search Handbook http://www.JobSearchHandbook.com. As editor of the
HireSites.com weekly newsletter on job searching, Scott has written many
articles on the subject. He wrote the Job Search Handbook to provide job seekers
with a complete yet easy to use guide to finding a job
effectively.
Top of Page |
