The Addiction Nobody Talks About But Everybody Is Doing: 10 Solutions
Glued to cell phones, trundling through the “nation’s airports at all hours with their rolling luggage; coffeehouses filled with serious people bent over laptops and young workers at dot-coms available for 24/7 work. With COVID-19, has this addiction gone underground—out of sight, out of mind? Could this be you burning the midnight oil? And how would you know if you were addicted to work?"
Ten Tips for Yellow and Red Lighters
1. Work Mindfully. Make a conscious effort to toil in the present moment as much as possible instead of regretting past mistakes or worrying about future projects. Be mindful of your coworkers, and consider eating, walking and driving slower.
2. Find Balance. Make sure you balance your days with nutritious food, regular exercise and ample sleep. Spend time doing the things you put off.
3. Avoid Multitasking. Studies show that multitasking isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, that workers who focus on one task at a time are calmer and more effective and productive.
4. Set Boundaries. Refuse to commit to more projects when you’re already overloaded. Stop working at home at a certain hour just as you would in the office. Tell yourself there’s a limit to what you can do, refrain from setting unrealistic boundaries and see the practice of boundary setting as a strength, not a weakness.
5. Develop Self-Compassion. Instead of attacking yourself when you forget, make a mistake or fail at a task, shower yourself with compassion. Practice pep talks and treat yourself with the same nurturing support and loving-kindness you give to loved ones.
6. Come Up for Air. Mother Nature didn’t design your body to be desk-bound for long periods of time. Put time cushions between appointments, take time to breathe, eat a snack or stretch and move around.
7. Unplug. Set aside time for self-care to recharge your batteries. Just five or ten minutes a day can make a big difference in lowering your stress and raising your energy level. Indulge yourself with a nap, brief walk in nature or meditation to take your mind off red alert.
8. Block Off Time for Relationships. Leave space in your schedule to spend time with coworkers, friends and family. Take days off and vacations where you unwind and have fun.
9. Gain Deeper Insight. Look beneath your addiction to understand why you require yourself to overwork. And why that sanctuary is necessary for the uncertainties of living fully in the present.
10. Get Outside Help. If you can’t stop overworking on your own, many resources are available to help: professional counseling, support groups, and Workaholics Anonymous online meetings, where members work the Twelve Steps.
Read full Forbes article by Dr. Robinson, Author of #CHILL: TURN OFF YOUR JOB AND TURN ON YOUR LIFE and the long-selling CHAINED TO THE DESK: A GUIDEBOOK FOR WORKAHOLICS, THEIR PARTNERS AND CHILDREN, AND THE CLINICIANS WHO TREAT THEM.
