10 Things to Do to Avoid Becoming a Workaholic
Working a grueling schedule is a brutal way to live, but it's also a common reality for many people. What if there was a way to ease the burden of stress and anxiety? Whether you're unhappy with your job or simply working long hours because you love what you do, these 10 tips can help make things better.
Identify your core values.
The first step to avoiding workaholism is to identify your core values. Your core values are the things that matter most to you and will guide everything else in your life. They're the principles or beliefs that truly matter to you, such as integrity, honesty, compassion, gratitude, and respect.
Your core values can be about yourself or about others; for example: "I value being respectful" or "I value making others happy." Many people find it helpful to write their core values down so they can reflect on them regularly throughout the day (this is called a personal mission statement).
Define your objectives.
It's easy to get caught up in the demands of work and forget what you're doing it for. If you are not careful, this can end up being a serious problem—and one that could cost your career. So make sure that you set clear objectives for yourself before committing to any project or task.
To do this effectively, you need to be specific about what those objectives are. Be realistic about how much time and energy will be needed to achieve them, but also flexible enough so that they don't become completely inflexible as circumstances change around them (which they will!).
Your objectives should also be consistent with your larger goals at work—if something doesn't fit into those bigger plans, then it probably shouldn't be an objective at all! They should also be time-bound once an objective is completed successfully, do not allow yourself another chance at it; instead move on immediately towards another goal that aligns more closely with where you want your career path to go next. Finally, the achievement of each individual goal must be measurable; otherwise, there's no way of knowing whether success has been achieved!
Study the time it takes to complete tasks.
A lot of people underestimate the amount of time it takes to complete tasks.
This is a problem because we tend to overestimate how much time we have, and this leads us to waste our days on unimportant things.
You can avoid this by learning how long it takes to finish your tasks.
The key here is to use your own personal experience as a guide: if you take an average of 2 hours to do something that has taken you two hours in the past and it still takes you two hours now, then you know for sure that it will probably take about 2 hours in future too!
Now that sounds simple enough, doesn't it? But what about those big projects where each part seems like its own mini project? Well guess what...you just break them down into smaller pieces until they're manageable (like I did with this article!). It might sound obvious but remember all those times when someone said “that's a huge job” only for them not wanting anything more than half an hour later? Well, there's nothing stopping us from doing the same thing ourselves!
Schedule and stick to a lunch hour.
Lunch hour is an important part of your day. It's when you can take a break from the stress of work and relax, de-stress and re-energize before going back to work.
Schedule your lunch hour for at least once per day, preferably in the middle of the day.
If possible, go outside for your lunch break so that you can get some fresh air and sunlight. If this isn't possible due to weather or other factors, try taking advantage of any natural light coming into your workspace by having a window nearby so you can look out it while eating or walking around. This helps boost serotonin levels in the brain which will help keep stress levels low throughout the rest of your workday!
Limit overtime.
This may be the most controversial piece of advice because it can feel like an unnecessary sacrifice. If you’re having trouble managing your time and feel that working late is the only way to get everything done, then limiting overtime is going to be difficult. The good news is that even if you do have a lot of work to do, there are ways to keep yourself from burning out by setting limits on how much time you devote to each project.
Delegate tasks to others.
Delegate tasks to others.
Delegate tasks to those who are more qualified.
Delegate tasks to those who are more motivated.
Delegate tasks to those who are more reliable.
Delegate tasks to those who are more trustworthy, or at least have a good track record so far in terms of the amount of time they've put into their work and whether it's been up-to-snuff quality wise (and not just slacking off and doing things poorly).
And finally, delegate tasks that could benefit from someone else's perspective--even if that person isn't necessarily 'better' than you at what they're doing, having another set of eyes on something can give invaluable feedback on how it could be improved or changed in some way so as not only makes your product better but also makes it easier for others who have yet been tasked with completing similar projects down the line (or perhaps even yourself) when they come across this same problem again!
Unplug from work after business hours; don't bring work home.
There is a difference between work and life, and you should always be conscious of keeping them separate. When you're at work, your job is to work. When you're not at work, your job is to relax. There's no reason to bring the two together if they are not related in some way; if they don't overlap in any way except for time spent or location (for example, if you're working from home or have an evening meeting), then it can be very hard to know when one starts and ends.
When we slip into this trap of "work all day long" without taking breaks or allowing ourselves time off from our jobs, we risk losing sight of what really matters: our friends and family members who have nothing at all to do with our professional lives! They deserve attention too! Even though there are many arguments against bringing work home—for example "it takes away from my family" or "I'm less productive after hours"—there are also benefits: namely that doing so allows me more flexibility with my schedule since I don't need as much advance notice about upcoming deadlines as someone who works strictly during set business hours would need
Create a relaxing environment at home.
One of the best things you can do for your health and well-being is to create a relaxing environment at home. Don't bring work home with you, and don't check emails or messages at home. If you want to talk about work, try doing so over dinner with your friends or family—not when everyone is trying to relax after a long day. It's also important that you don't bring any of your work responsibilities into the household by working from home on weekends or evenings after everyone has gone to bed.
Take a vacation from work, but not from life.
Workaholics are often so committed to their jobs that they're only interested in what happens at the office. If you don't make time for other activities, you may find yourself feeling disconnected and unhappy with your life. It is important to take enough time off that you can enjoy your leisure time without feeling guilty about it or having to rush through it because there is something more important waiting for you at work.
Re-evaluate your life if you still feel stressed and overworked despite making all the above changes.
If you don't notice any improvement after making all the above changes, it's time to re-evaluate your life. If you're still working too much and missing out on life, it could be a sign that your stress levels aren't caused by external factors at all—you may just be addicted to workaholism. In this case, it's best to seek professional help from a therapist or psychiatrist who specializes in addiction treatment.
A healthy balance is important, no matter how much you love or hate your job
A healthy balance is important, no matter how much you love or hate your job. If you don't maintain a healthy balance, it's possible that you may become a workaholic, which can lead to burnout and even depression. In addition to the negative effects on your physical and mental health, being too focused on work might also prevent you from doing your job as well as possible. So, take some time to relax!
Conclusion
I hope that you’ve found these tips helpful. Remember, it’s not just about what you do at work—it’s also about how you spend your time when you are not there. While some people will be able to make a quick adjustment to their lifestyle and feel better, others may need to go through multiple steps before they get there. If none of this helps reduce your stress and anxiety levels, then maybe it’s time for some serious reevaluation!