If you are the first person into the office of a morning, the last person to leave at night and the person who checks their emails at the weekend and even comes into the office on your days off, then it is very likely that you are a workaholic.
You may perceive this to be something that is good and will make you a very valued and hopefully indispensable part of the workforce. But there is another way of looking at things. For a start, no one is indispensable. Even Tony Blair resigned from running the country and what happened? Well the world went on. Even if the Queen were to abdicate, then the country would still function. So do not assume that working long hours, often unpaid, means that you are indispensable.
Employers are also aware that if someone works too long hours a week they cease to be effective. So for part of the time that you are at your desk, you are probably not thinking straight, meaning that it can actually hamper your productivity. This is not a good thing!
You should also be aware that continuously working means that you may end up with a good career, but your health may suffer as a result. You can easily end up stressed and even if you are well paid, money is no comforter when you are ill. Working too long hours can also have a very devastating effect on your personal relationships.
But if you are a workaholic, then how do you change? Well the best way to do this is to start placing boundaries around your working day, So if you always leave the office at 7, try leaving at 6.30, then 6.15 then 6 pm. Also try to ensure that you cut down the amount of work you take home and how often you check your emails. Gradually reduce the hours you put in, so that you are still working a full week, but work is not taking over your life.
If you find this hard to do in your present environment, it may be worth approaching a recruitment agency to see if they can offer you similar positions, but ones where you will not be expected to work such long hours. But you do need to maintain a good work life balance, so be ruthless and cut back!
your research before you speak to your employer!
Tags: Boundaries, career, Checks, Comforter, Desk, Emails, First Person, Health, Job, Money, Personal Relationships, Productivity, Queen, Recruitment Agency, Tony Blair, work, Workaholic, Workforce
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