Why are you so busy? Do you really have too much work? Is work so important to you that you'll sacrifice just about anything in your life to get the job done? Even if it's at the expense of your health and your relationships? Stress in the workplace can be caused by many factors, however from my experience I've found for many people it is their inability to organise themselves and their time. They also have difficulty saying 'no'. Or worse still, you may be a work addict.
Are You A Work Addict?
Your Score
The greater the number of yes answers, the closer you are to fitting the profile of a work addict? If you've answered yes to more than half of the questions, it's time to take stock before you lose your health, family and everything you hold near and dear to your heart.
Do a Stocktake
Evaluate what you do and the importance of your role. Are you appreciated for all those long hours you've put in? Does it really make a difference to your income? Is stress in the workplace a figment of your imagination or is it really the fact that you are filling your life with work to avoid dealing with your personal life?
Gary's Story
In one of our coaching sessions, Gary told me he wanted to expand his social circle yet didn't have time because he worked from 7.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. most days. He said he'd been doing this for years and that it was 'the norm' in his profession. He said stress in the workplace was a major concern for many of his colleagues.
As I continued to question him about why it was standard procedure to work these ridiculous hours, he realised that those colleagues who succumbed to this belief were all very unhappy individuals. Most of them were divorced just like he was and had no-one to go home to. They used work as a way to avoid the loneliness.
Gary was divorced because he didn't pay attention to his relationships. He would arrive home at 7.30 p.m. most nights and his wife wouldn't bother communicating with him. She was busy looking after their two young boys and meeting their needs. At that time of night his wife was putting the kids to bed.
Gary would read them a story if they hadn't already fallen asleep.
He was missing out on everything that was important to him.
Unfortunately Gary didn't wake up to himself in time and got caught up with being 'Mr. Important' at work. He paid a heavy price with the divorce which followed.
Bringing Up Kids
In his book "Raising Boys", Stephen Biddulph categorically states: If you routinely work a fifty five or sixty hour week, including travel times, you just won't cut it as a dad.
He says: Your sons will have problems in life and it will be down to you.
The Final Word
If you seriously want to make changes to your life, then take action now. If it's too hard to do by yourself, get a coach. If you've been a workaholic it can take awhile to break your old habits and to instill new behaviours. After all you've got everything to gain by working less and everything to lose by continuing the way you are.
About The Author
Lorraine Pirihi is Australia's Personal Productivity Specialist and Leading Life Coach. Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing small business owners and managers, how to get organised at work so they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has produced many products including "How to Survive and Thrive at Work!"
To subscribe to her free ezine visit www.office-organiser.com.au
This article may be reproduced providing it is published in it's entirety, including the author's bio and all links. For further information please contact Lorraine Pirihi.
whole house cleaning Deerfield ..After a stressful day as a computer programmer, Jim pulled... Read More
It is no secret that stress and related disorders are... Read More
... Read More
The Rule of BalanceThere is more to life than work.... Read More
Today we have more stress in our lives than ever... Read More
What good is Personal or Business Success...if your Health is... Read More
Modern stress is habitual, and is something that the vast... Read More
Did you know that more than half of our adult... Read More
Q. I wonder if you could help me with a... Read More
* The material presented in this article is provided for... Read More
The Mask of "I've Got It All Together"It's so easy... Read More
To be a safe and predictable person for those around... Read More
CHICAGO - According to a recent article in the September... Read More
As Montaigne said, "he who fears he will suffer, already... Read More
For those of you who have been living in a... Read More
So many of us live a stressful life. Unfortunately, when... Read More
Question 1"How do I get more time to play?"Answer: Schedule... Read More
In order to understand stress better, it is a good... Read More
Do you often overreact to situations? Are you a constant... Read More
Why do we resist change? As the saying goes, the... Read More
Have you ever said the words, "This job/my life is... Read More
Everywhere I go, I hear the same unpleasant sentence repeated... Read More
Loneliness and separation are the real illness of our times.... Read More
Are you a person who has a keen imagination, a... Read More
Anyone who has ever worked knows that stress is part... Read More
home cleaning services Des Plaines ..Over the years I've collected scores of comics and cartoons... Read More
I am worried. I have been biting my nails for... Read More
When was the last time that you truly took a... Read More
It was a self-exploration that made me understand myself. It... Read More
Training Your Mind For Better Business and LeisureModern life moves... Read More
Everyone needs successful stress management techniques. Easy to learn and... Read More
According to the StressPulse survey by ComPsych Corporation completed at... Read More
I came out of a nightmare 5-year period of anxiety... Read More
Do you often overreact to situations? Are you a constant... Read More
If you suffer from insomnia of any kind, the chances... Read More
Several studies, including one of medical students around exam time,... Read More
Make stress less of an issue for you in your... Read More
One of the ways I have avoided a lot of... Read More
These days, when people have become so conscious about what... Read More
I had the unpleasant experience of being pulled over the... Read More
"Do you want to be a lump of coal or... Read More
Today we have more stress in our lives than ever... Read More
Living in our world today can be very stressful. While... Read More
So many of us live a stressful life. Unfortunately, when... Read More
Workplace stress is on the rise and it's costing corporate... Read More
Work related tensions, personal issues and abnormal lifestyles are the... Read More
Everybody deals with fear and anxiety, however some people have... Read More
Everyday can be full of stress but we all deserve... Read More
Are you feeling stressed out? Too many things to do,... Read More
Do you have stress in your life?......I know you answered... Read More
Stress Management |