Are you addicted to work?

As marketers and creative people we all tend to work long hours from time to time. Some of us may even be labeled as "workaholics". If you go to bed at night thinking about your job and wake up in the morning thinking about your job or maybe just don't sleep at all thinking about your job...you might just suffer from workaholism.

Its easy to define, and I am sure all of us are guilty of over-working at some point in our lives. Face it - it's easy to do. There are a few ways to keep yourself in check and not fall into being a workaholic:

• Learn how to earn to live and not live to earn. Easier said than done right?...we all want that pie in the sky and will work our fingers to the bone to achieve it. Not so much...living to earn can be stressful and it deprives you of enjoying your life to the fullest. When you become a workaholic, you are obsessed with work and miss out on life’s great moments. Earning money isn’t the only thing that matters…finding time to spend it is also important.
• Don't work on your vacation or on your days off. You need to realize that your body needs relaxation and leisure to perform efficiently. No matter how important the work is, spend your vacations and days off as a day to revive and reset, not as working days.
• Waste time, from time to time. If you think that spending some leisure time is a waste, then you’re mistaken. The times you chill and enjoy help you get ready for upcoming stressful hours. Considering the heavy and complex work nature of marketers, idle time is sometimes a must. Spending time enjoying and relaxing, not only diverts your worries, but also increases you productivity.
• Don't neglect loved ones. Remember you're not alone in this world. No matter how important your work is, never compromise your family or friend time. You are making money to fulfil your family requirements but in the end, if you don’t have enough time to spend with your loved ones, it's not really worth it. When you are with your family or friends…make an effort to be really there...not off in the clouds thinking about deadlines.
  
• Don't be a perfectionist. Let’s face it, nobody’s perfect and never will be. Before committing to any project, you must contemplate on whether it is possible or not. Taking on projects with unrealistic deadlines makes you a workaholic. Always think before you leap and never jump the gun on a project that is outside your realm of abilities without having the time and resources to achieve the end goal. Remember you aren't going to please 100% or people 100% of the time, that is just the way it is.
• Set your own restrictions. Always remember, no one can control you more than yourself. The most important thing you need to do is to set restrictions on yourself. Restrict your working hours in a way that you get time for others and most importantly yourself.
• Step away from the computer. Not only will it help you ease your mind but also save you from going blind or forever being cramped into a desk seated position. Sometimes, it is important to step into the real world and update yourself with the activities going on around you. Go out to lunch, run to the gym or the store - step away.

Until next time,
Jeremy