Advice for Workaholics

· Are your work hours long?

· Are your at-home hours short?

· Do you bring work home?

· Are your sleep hours few?

· Do vacations and socializing with friends occur rarely, if at all?

· Is your only hobby your job?

· Do you thrive on pressure at work?

· Do you hold multiple jobs or are you responsible for multiple projects at work?



If your answer to most of these questions is “yes", then you are living to work.



Stop and reflect on this quote:

• “You can always find reasons to work. There will always be one more thing to do. But when people don't take time out, they stop being productive. They stop being happy and that affects the morale of everyone around them." – Carisa Bianchi

Now stop and reflect on these 3 quotes:

• "What does it matter how much we do (trying to fit more into the existing time) if what we're doing isn't what matters most?" – Stephen Covey
• “Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want." – Margaret Young
• “There is nothing more tragic than a person who achieves wealth, fame, power or prestige only to find he's lost the love of his family and friends, the respect of his colleagues, and above all has lost the ability to appreciate life for its own sake." – Roger Dawson

• Make time away from work – TOTALLY away from work (no cell phone, pager, e-mail) – to get your life back in balance.
• Block out personal time to spend with family and (non-work) friends.
• When on the road for business, call home regularly to stay connected to what’s going on in your family life.
• Learn how to delegate work.
• Learn how to say “no" to new assignments.
• Take time off, a long weekend or vacation, and leave work behind (no cell phone, pager, e-mail).
• Start exercising to get yourself back in shape (after consulting with your doctor – if you haven’t had a check up in awhile, then make an appointment for a complete physical exam). Find a friend or family member to exercise with (to keep yourself accountable to exercising and to keep your mind off work).
• Find a hobby.
• Consider volunteering – to help others, and meet new people.
• Practice just sitting and relaxing and doing nothing – it’s OK to do that!
• Find a friend or personal coach who can help you make the shift from your sole focus on work.