Is Your Profession Your Obsession?

During this down-time in our economy, for most of us our primary concern is having a regular job. For those who have one, they hold on to it. For some taking time away from work to spend with loved ones, relaxing or making time for ourselves seems to be more difficult than ever before.

We no longer care for a raise as long as we still have a job. Ask yourselves: Has my profession become my obsession?

During the early thirties many so-called experts believed that no one would need to work more than two days a week for no more than 4 hours. They would have time to cultivate the art of living large. This, of course, continues to be an illusion. Still today many are taking interest in how to make residual income or how to work from home, with the same hope of providing for themselves with less effort.

A few ways to tell that you are a workaholic:

You are the first to get to the office and the last to go home. You work through lunch every day. You don't have any real hobbies. You are stressed if you are not at work. Nothing satisfaction signs of a perfeccionist and devalue personal priorities. You haven't taken a vacation in a long time and find excuses not to take one. Your mind always drift back to work when at home and family affairs. No time to get sick show up at work even half dead. You feel run down and fatique all the time. You are always available for work matters. Even on a serious family matter like a funeral. You even hid the fact that you are working from love ones. Constanly micromanaging every detail. Have you ever said: "NO" to your boss. You hardly ever say: "YES" to your friends. You are often overbook and panic if there is an empty spot in your agenda. You never view yourself as a workaholic and get offended easily if anyone brings it up.

If all this sound way too familiar you may need to get treatment. Workaholic annonymous may be something to look in to. There are professional help or maybe you are still able to turn your life around on your own with the help of a few friends. Remember that the first step to recovery is to admit you do have an issue to solve.

Choose flow-inducing hobbies that really engage you and pull your mind away from work. Acitivies with clear objectives and challenge you just a bit beyond your current level of skill. Set goals in your personal life just like you do in your professional life. Schedule dates with other people for non-work activities. Make weekend plans with friends or schedule with a personal trainer. Use tech boundaries to separate your work and your life. This means have a personal email, messaging or better yet get a personal computer. Decide your “no”s in advance. This includes lunch meetings, and extra projects on weekends.

Life is more than just work. A satisfying life involves making time for work but it involves family recreation and spiritual things. Is it possible to balance all this out? Yes!!

It’s important to remember that even if you “love” your job, if it’s stressing you out, and all you do 24/7 is obsesses over the next task, something needs to be done. Take a step back evaluate yourself. Am I working long hours? Not resting properly? Not spending time with family?

Overwork is related to obesity, alcoholism, heart disease, workplace accidents, drug dependency, anxiety, fatigue, depression and others. The Bible says: “Better is a handful of rest than a double handful of hard work and striving after the wind.” –Eccl 4:6. With this scripture in mind I always say: “ I work to live. I don’t live to work.” Do not let life pass you by because of work. It is possible to have a balance between work, family, recreation and spiritual things.