These days, one of the main requirements employees have when joining a company is a work-life balance. Being dedicated to your work and wanting to dedicate long hours to it does not equate to workaholism. The insatiable desire to keep working is workaholism.
Workaholism works similarly to other addictions, you simply cannot function properly unless you are doing something related to your work. Be it enjoying a casual gathering, or anything else, unless you have your work with you, you will not be able to focus on anything else either.
Workaholism does not come hand in hand with perfection. The more you fall for the trap of workaholism, the more the quality of your work decreases.
Your body and mind will be constantly working beyond their limits as you refuse to take proper rest, and your health will begin to deteriorate rapidly.
Here are 10 ways to tackle workaholism:
1. Separate Your Personal And Professional Life
If you have the financial scope for it, it may be worth investing in separate cell phones for work and personal purposes. This way you can put a stop to your work once the working hours end.
If your work-related contacts, emails, social media, etc. are handled on a separate device altogether you will have more self-control in keeping it away from yourself during non-working hours.
This way you will be able to spend quality time with your friends and family.
2. Set Boundaries And Be Strict With Them
When at work do work, but when you are at home then do not engage or entertain any further calls. If you have decided to segregate your work life from your personal one then there mustn’t be any exceptions.
It may be difficult to do this at first, and maybe you will need someone to remind you not to blur the line between your personal and professional time.
It’s okay to rely on others for this. Let your loved ones keep you company and let them enjoy your undivided attention too.
3. Automate Your Work
Some tasks are repetitive enough that they can be automated. This includes work like redirection of emails and messages. Be sure to make use of management software and other automation tools for repetitive and administrative office work.
You should be aware of the latest emerging technologies which can make your work faster and easier in the long run. This will help you out both as an employee and as an employer.
4. Do Not Do Everything On Your Own
Not all the work needs to be in-house. As an employer, you can hire a service to complete tasks that will not be needed frequently. It is cheaper than hiring a full-time employee who is specialized in that specific area.
For example, some businesses will require specialized writing skills depending on their project. Rather than hiring someone full-time, you can avail the services of professional essay writers on an assignment-to-assignment basis.
5. Find An Engaging Hobby
Surprisingly, having a hobby turns out to be a solution for many issues that people tend to face. Hobbies are a welcome, productive distraction that takes our minds off stressful events for a while.
And this fundamental approach applies here as well.
When work is all you can think of, you do not need another activity that will constantly remind you of the pending tasks. Rather you need something you can devote yourself to for a short while, just long enough to relax and calm yourself.
6. Change Your Work Environment
If it is not a personal matter, it is a professional matter. If something has driven you into a state of workaholism and you are not able to relate it to your personal matters then maybe this kind of work isn’t right for you.
Now you must take note of the kind of work environment you are placed in. If the environment you spend more than half your time in is causing this self-destructive behavior, then you must change it immediately.
7. Take Your Breaks Seriously
To put your corrective actions into practice you must make sure you take all of it seriously. Lunch breaks are meant to be spent enjoying your meal and spending time with your colleagues.
You should also take the paid leaves that you get during your working year. Take a holiday and spend time away from work. Take a proper break where it’s all about you and whoever is with you.
8. Stop Justifying Your Workaholic Tendencies
Old habits are hard to break. It takes time and a lot of hard work to stop yourself from pursuing those habits. Justifying it only makes the process of correction more difficult. Is sacrificing your health, and any relationships you have worth your work? If not, then push yourself to adhere to separate your work and personal time, and don’t justify your setbacks.
9. Take Care Of Yourself
Regardless of their state as workaholics or not, people tend to forget to take care of themselves regularly leading to more serious issues later on. The body needs the energy to combat the tiresome consequences of addiction, and you can only give it this energy by taking care of yourself in all aspects.
Apart from physical health, you must also monitor your mental health. Seek out help for issues in due time so that your path to recovery goes smoothly.
10. Get Professional Help
You have tried everything, you know you are a workaholic but regardless of your efforts you still slip back into your destructive routine.
Workaholism develops due to numerous reasons and you cannot possibly tackle all of them on your own.
You should get yourself diagnosed as there may be a deeper reason behind your inability to stop working.
Conclusion
Dedication to your job and career is one thing, and being addicted to working is another. By succumbing to these addictive tendencies you only hurt yourself and your loved ones.
Keep a tab on your working hours and how much work you take back home with you. Learn what your priorities are and work on improving yourself so that you perform well in every aspect of your life.