July 5 is Workaholics Day. It is said “workaholic” is a phrase coined by Rodney Dangerfield in 1968 to describe his father’s unhealthy relationship with work. It was a combination of the words “work” and “alcoholic”. The joke went “my father was a workaholic, whenever you mentioned work he got drunk”
Today the word is defined as “a person who spends most of their time working and has little interest in other things”
Do you have trouble breaking away from work to enjoy the life you work so hard to provide?
Are you spend too much of your time working, living a life much less satisfying than it once was. It’s easy to get caught up in your work. Sometimes you don’t even realize it until it seems too late, but it’s never too late to break out of the bad habit!
The Underlying Problem
Often times you get swept up with becoming a workaholic because of an underlying problem. It’s true that sometimes you’re just getting too much pressure at work to get things done on time, but more often than not, you’ll find that you’re using your work to hide from other problems.
Ask yourself these questions:
1, Are you working too much because of financial strain?
2. Are you trying to avoid your home life?
3. Are you using work to avoid some other issue you’re facing?
If you’re overworking yourself because of financial reasons, you can only do it for so long. Sooner or later your mental and physical health will begin to suffer. You need to work hard with an end date in mind. If this doesn’t work for you, perhaps it’s time to find a better paying job.
If you’re avoiding problems at home, you absolutely must concentrate on solving these problems. They aren’t going to go away just because you’ve been escaping the situation. The only way things will improve is if you take action to resolve what’s plaguing you.
Balance Out Your Life
Once you’ve solved any underlying problems, you’ll want to bring balance back to your life. In order to wean yourself from your work, there are certain tips you can utilize to change your working habits.
Try some of these techniques:1.
1. Choose to make time for yourself a priority. You and your health are more important than your work. You often work from a calendar, schedule time for yourself and treat that time as important as any other deadline or appointment.
2. Take intentional time to relax and sleep. Decide on a firm bedtime for yourself and stick to it. Intentionally engage in a relaxing activity that has nothing to do with work at least 30 minutes prior. Allow your mind to step away from business.
3. Spend time with family and friends. Determine in advance there will be no work discussion. Step into the camaraderie, laugh, talk, share life with others.
4. Schedule time to exercise. Moderate exercise can help relax you and release stress. This is good for your physical and mental health. It also gives you a work break.
5. Take days off. You need days off from your work from time to time. It’s just a fact. If you have a traditional job where you have weekends free, you must spend them away from work. On your days off, avoid even thinking or talking about work. Let your mind be free!
Start Slow
Stepping away and making these changes won’t happen overnight. They will take time. Take the step to implement just one into your lifestyle. As time goes on, try another.
Your life cannot be all about work. Start planning today so that next year on “workaholics day” you can honestly say “I don’t acknowledge that anymore”.