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HUFFINGTON POST

7 Ways To Cure Your

Workaholism
Lolly Daskal
11/14/2014 07:00 AM ET

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John Lund/Heather Hryciw via Getty Images

Do you work while on vacation?

Do you check emails on your phone at dinner?

Do you squeeze in one last phone call before

leaving the office?

If you’re in an unhealthy addictive relationship with

work, you’re far from alone; so many of us now are
working such long hours that it’s hard to know
what’s even normal.

Working hard is a good thing — up to a point.

Overwork doesn’t help your productivity, and it’s
harmful to you. It’s time to learn how to get back in
balance. Here are some pointers.

1. Learn to shut it down.

Make a pact with yourself that you will not work

past a certain time, and honor that time to shut
everything down. Learn to walk away.

2. Give yourself a break.

Learn to give yourself breaks during the workday,

even if they’re small ones. Go out for lunch instead
of eating at your desk. Take a short walk around
the office or a quick trip to a nearby park —
anything that changes the scenery. Even 10
minutes away can make a world of difference.

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3. Change your mindset.

You may be among the many people who believe

that long hours demonstrate your great work ethic
and that those who take breaks (or spend
evenings, weekends and vacations disconnected)
are lazy or less committed. But that way of thinking
is both inaccurate and unhealthy, so push back
when you catch yourself giving in to it. Remember,
what you think is what you are.

4. Treat it seriously.

When you are consumed with work and act as if

your life were dependent on your job, you’re likely
damaging your health and relationships. You need
to take change seriously. If need be, consider
getting help to learn better skills for balancing your
life.

5. Don’t bring it home.

The hardest test of all! When you go home, make a

point of turning off your phone and disconnecting
from your email. Instead, take time for friends and
family. It’s time to be the person who just might be
unavailable to work for a while — and unless you’re
literally saving lives with your job, that’s OK.

6. Meditate on it.

More than most people, workaholics need to learn

to turn off their thinking mind. The practice of
meditation is a great way to make that happen.
Take some time every day and consciously slow
down, breathe, relax, rest your mind and feed your
heart.

7. Set healthy boundaries.

Many people who are prone to chronic overwork

also have trouble setting and maintaining
boundaries. As a starting point, make a work
schedule and commit to it. If you need to include
some late evening or weekend hours, that’s fine —
but do it intentionally, based on schedules and
patterns, not just because you’re already there and
you haven’t yet dropped from exhaustion.

Being a workaholic doesn’t benefit anyone — not

you, not your team, not your organization, not the
world.

You’ll be much more effective — not to mention

happier — with adequate rest, sleep, breaks, and
time to cultivate relationships and interests outside
of work. Self-care keeps you on top of your game
and in the game.

BEFORE YOU GO

How 13 Insanely Busy People Find

Time To Relax And Recharge

VIEW GALLERY

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