Are You A Workaholic? Part 2

In Part 1 of “Are You A Workaholic?,” which appeared in our blog last Monday, February 11, 2013, Craig T. Norback presented a set of questions to be answered either with yes or no.

If you answered “yes” to between five and ten questions, you, too, must learn to slow down and work more efficiently as you are developing symptoms of workaholism.

You probably don’t have a problem if you answered “yes” to fewer than five questions.  However, Norback adds, even one affirmative answer – if the behavior is compulsively pursued – could be a danger signal that you are driving yourself too hard.  So it’s time to take things easy by controlling your tendency to overwork.

How often do you get a good night’s sleep and exercise?  They are the key to staying on the job and reducing stress.

Successful company executives rarely miss work due to illness, despite long work hours and high pressure positions, says a survey by New York’s Howard – Sloan Associates in their publication, Search.

How do these executives do it?  More than 90% say they exercise 1-10 hours a week, and 95% get at least six hours of sleep a night.  The majority makes a special effort to eat a balanced diet, and 84% are non-smokers.

As a result, only 6% suffer high blood pressure, and 61% say they are in good physical condition.  That translates into coping well with the high levels of stress they encounter on the job.

Self-help groups for stress management? Why not? Such groups beat the stigma of psychotherapy and can be just as effective in training you to kick bad habits, claims Dr. Stephen Lande of Temple University School of Medicine.

Self-help groups can focus on behavior techniques tailored to your needs, so you recognize those factors inducing stress, and train yourself to reduce anxiety levels.

For example, Dr. Lande says you could set a digital alarm watch to beep at specific intervals so relaxation exercises could be practiced for 10-15 minutes to ward off cumulative stress.

(More tips on reducing work-related stress, including important pointers on time management, will appear in future postings on Health Wellness Gems.  Or visit our archive for articles on stress control.)