Stop Being a workaholic
Do you check your emails during the holidays? Have you spent time on hobbies or workouts? Do you take your office works and files to home often? If you say ‘yes’ to such questions then you are workaholic. We must note that hardworking is a good thing, but up to a point. Overwork doesn’t help our productivity, being workaholic is harmful. But the problem is that it is hard to beat it. Here are some pointers to beat the workaholic stress
Never be a perfectionist
Experts say that most of the workaholic tend to be a perfectionist at work. Forgive yourself for your shortcomings. Nobody is perfect, and everybody has strengths and weaknesses. That’s not to say you should not try to grow. You can always learn something new or try to improve, but there are times when you’ll have to go with what you already know and do what you can base on that. Don’t waste time worrying about what you can’t do (yet). Focus on what is really needed. Is the real purpose to be perfect or produce a perfect result, or is it to get something done? What really matters? Perfectionism can often be the opposite of a timely result because the uncertainty that comes with it leads to procrastination.
Have a break
Instead of working for hours and being busy all the time, if a workaholic person starts taking small breaks in between so that his working ability can be controlled positively. By taking a small break or vacations, a person can make things easy for him. This can always help a person get out of such a workaholic zone forever. A change of scenery helps to restore your energy, clear your head and maybe even get you a little exercise. Call a friend who makes you laugh, go window-shopping, sit on a bench and people-watch, or pop in your earbuds and listen to your favourite music. If it’s permissible to have a radio in your office, dial it to a station that plays New Age or classical music. Keep a small vial of aromatherapy peppermint oil in your desk. This essential oil works quickly to relieve nasal congestion, help with digestive problems, stimulate your senses and lighten your mood.
Setting the limit
Workaholics tend to have few boundaries, which can be problematic when working on a team. They are the ones who will e-mail you at 2 a.m. looking for feedback on something. Once you have agreed on a set of priorities, set clear boundaries around appropriate communication times and be sure to enforce them. Moreover, limit the number of work assignments you accept. Finish one item of work before starting another one. Don’t feel that you have to finish every item of work that you have started. Just because you’ve already wasted a lot of time on a piece of work, it doesn’t mean you have to waste more. Don’t throw good time after bad.
Change in mindset
There are people who think that if a person doesn’t work for an initial period of time, then there is a possibility that he/she may be left behind in this competitive world. But having such a mindset is very clichéd. To be free of such a mindset, a person needs to initiate certain steps that can create a remarkable change in his / her professional life which can help that person come out of workaholism. Moreover, socialise with everyone, make friends with your coworkers, suggests experts. While this doesn’t mean you have to go to lunch with them every day, start a carpool or socialize at sports bars after hours, seeing some friendly faces between 9 and 5 gives you a greater sense of acceptance and belonging than hunkering down in your cubicle like a recluse.
Encourage hobbies or extracurricular
Hobbies not only clear the stress you have but also increases the sharpness of the mind. Talk about the fun you had over the weekend, but also point out how non-office experiences enhanced your creativity on the job. The best way to subtly nudge a workaholic into expanding his or her activities is to tie outside activities to work in some way. If workaholics can see how being healthy or spending some time travelling may help them at work, they may take a stab at it.
Show the right direction
Workaholism can be an addiction, and the last thing you want to do is enable a workaholic by legitimizing the belief that he or she is overloaded. Workaholics often overload themselves. Avoid offering to pick-up extra work or chip-in on a weekend, because it won’t matter–the workaholic will find something else to fill the void. The best thing you can do is show them what they are missing in the world around them.
Never bring work at home
There is a great deal of difference between the workplace and home. Working in an office for hours and keep taking pending works at home is not a great habit for oneself. And our home is a place where a person can enjoy their personal life without any deadlines. A free life without any tension and frustration can bring inner peace and that can only happen if a person draws a line between professional and personal life.
Spend time with a loved one
The most important change or treatment for a workaholic person would be making time for his loved ones. By spending time with loved ones a person can start taking steps out from his workaholic zone. Being a workaholic, a person starts ignoring their loved ones and end up being workaholic or alone. To avoid such situation maintain a standard boundary which can help a person to come out of his busy life.
Be aware
Many workaholics think hard work yields good rewards. But these practices are only temporarily fruitful, and they can eventually result in disaster. The reason is that workaholism is a short-sighted strategy, one that encourages people to express the worst parts of their personality. Furthermore, even the most productive employees can’t keep working with such intensity for long. They will eventually wear out, as will their ability to think clearly. They will no longer be able to contribute to the team or make sound decisions. A successful team needs steady performance from its members more than heroic efforts. A member who temporarily outworks the rest of the team soon becomes an obstacle because they can’t work as part of the team, despite their best intentions.
Difference between Workaholics and GOOD performers
A high performer knows their self-worth and can thus work with a sense of freedom. They do periodic self-evaluations of their performance so that they can constantly improve. And, he says, they create their own feedback loops rather than waiting for feedback from others. A workaholic, on the other hand, relies on external validation from those around them: bosses, colleagues, and clients. They wait for external evaluations, such as mid-year or annual reviews, to understand how well they are doing, which causes them to work with a constant sense of fear.
