Workaholism is a common factor in American life. However, there is nothing healthy about being a workaholic, and while it is beneficial to have a healthy work-week it is not so beneficial that you should let your work envelop your life and take over completely during time periods when your mind and activities should be thoroughly focused on something else.
The condition of being a workaholic is defined simply as someone who works so much that it may negatively affect other aspects of their life. Workaholics can have trouble separating their work and personal lives so it is understandable that their work week often bleeds into to their weekend.
While it is not necessarily bad or wrong to work on the weekends, it certainly is not always necessary, and a few key tips listed below can be followed to help you avoid it.
How Much Should We Be Working?
The Department of Labor Statistics, (BLS), actually found that the average American does better during each individual hour worked if he or she only works forty hours a week over the course of a five day period. Basically, it’s all about the quality and the value of the individual hours worked more so than the actual number of hours themselves.
Ensuring that you have the best weekend possible causes some individuals stress, as they fear that they will mess up and end up having to work on the weekends or convince themselves that they need to work. Follow these tips below to enjoy your weekend as best as possible:
1. Make sure all work for the week is done by Friday afternoon
Far better be it to burn the midnight oil and work a few extra hours here and there during the work-week than to come in extra on the weekend. The reason for this is because when one is already at work and is just staying a little late to wrap something up one will already have been in the office and in work mode. Odds are, one extra hour at work during the week would equate to two to three hours of work on the weekends.
2. Disconnect from technology
Technology is the number one reminder of our work. One thing to try doing over the weekend is to turn off your phone and computer, even if it is only for an hour or two each day. By separating from your tech you can take your mind fully out of what’s going on at work and devote yourself fully to relaxing and/or spending time with friends and family.
3. Engage yourself in a hobby
There’s no doubt about it, one great way to really enjoy the weekend is to take part in a hobby. This is the best way to recharge the brain and refuel the mind and spirit. In doing so, one will finally get a chance at winning the mantel of, “Weekend Done Right.”
4. Spend time with family and friends
When the weekend rolls around go out and do something with your family or a good friend. In doing so, you can anchor yourself in the present moment and forget about work for a bit.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be successful. There is nothing wrong with wanting to work extra, extra hard so as to get that promotion or to close that big deal. These are all admirable traits and characteristics. There is such a thing as working too hard, though, and while some work occasionally on the weekends is not unhealthy, it can get out of control if one is not careful. By following the above tips, you can find a healthy balance of a productive work-week and a happy and rejuvenating weekend.
About the Author
Sean Morris is a former social worker turned stay-at-home dad. He knows what it’s like to juggle family and career. He did it for years until deciding to become a stay-at-home dad after the birth of his son. Though he loved his career in social work, he has found this additional time with his kids to be the most rewarding experience of his life. He began writing for LearnFit.org to share his experiences and to help guide anyone struggling to find the best path for their life, career, and/or family.
Photo credit: Janvier Miranda / Ashley MacKinnon
Source: Pingboard / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics / Francesca Gino, Bradley Staats (Harvard Business Review)
