Tuesday, January 22, 2008

How not to be a Workaholic

Do you eat, sleep and breathe work, weekends and holidays included? Do you find anything besides work a waste of time? If yes, then you are a workaholic, and the sooner you realize it the better.

Love vs Addiction

Don’t confuse a genuine love of work with an addiction. Work addicts suffer withdrawal symptoms if detached from their job and find that work alone defines and controls their self-esteem, public image and well-being.

Family vs Work

Workaholics are detached from the emotional concerns of the rest of the family. While critical of every detail of housekeeping, they are reluctant to help with chores, because it takes them away from their “real” work.

Health Hazards

Workaholics are often stressed out plodders, perpetually swamped in paperwork and routine chores. They are sitting candidates for heart disease and other physical and psychological problems.

The Cure

If your organization forces you to be a workaholic, get out while you can. Return to the hobbies of your youth. Renew old friendships and make new ones. Join a group or club that shares your interests.

Be Realistic

If you equate relaxation with idleness, a drastic change of pace will be hard at first. Ease yourself into a new lifestyle. Slow everything down. Take up something that does not immediately seem productive, like meditating or bird-watching.

Courtesy: Reader’s Digest, Feb.2006, p.175

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