I've been a workaholic since I started Freckled Nest and last year, I noticed how much that's affected me and my life. For me, Workaholic means that I work the day and into the late night and I?feel married to my to-do list. Working excessively is probably really common when you're your own boss, but after 6 years, it's?made my body feel older (and unfit), my relationships don't get my best and ultimately, it's really not working for me. But I still haven't stopped being a workaholic because, it's more than just a simple decision to change. I have a lot of habits, obligations, fears and mindsets that contribute to how I approach my work and days.
SO, I reached out for help with my counselor Tara. I started seeing her in April to work on my heart after the break-up and my self-esteem, which has been incredibly helpful-- Tara's taught me about the stages of grief after a loss/break-up and about self-compassion and being nicer to myself. We've made a lot of progress, and I thought it was about time to take care of my stress level. It's been so high lately, my teeth are constantly clenched and it's been harder to be productive and effective.
In therapy last week, we explored whats been working and what hasn't, which really challenged what I've taught myself and how I think, not just act. A big thing was that I'm often living in 'Fight or Flight mode", which means I'm only focused on "to-do list survival" and I ignore all my other needs, like health, social life, personal time and clarity.?
To improve my workaholic ways, these are the things I'm focusing on: 1) I need to have an accomplishable amount of work and feel confident that I can complete it. I can't do it all, so I'll focus on my priorities and realistic scheduling. 2)?I will create a work schedule/hours and stick to it, so that I give myself time for all the other stuff and step out of fight or flight survival mode. 3) Quit convincing myself that working more means I'll get more done. 4) Rely on the tools I have in place to keep the day organized and productive. I love iCal, Gmail, Evernote, Wind-Up, Pocket, Mac Folders and Chrome Bookmarks. 5) Keep working at this, so that it permanently works.?
I have a lot of hope that things are going to get better :) I've already noticed a few differences with this new approach, my jaw has unclenched and I took last weekend and this weekend off. It was hard, but now-- it's Monday Morning and I woke up at 7:00am, feeling rested and really excited & energized for the week! I usually wake up at 10am. ish.
Have you struggled with working too much or to-do list stress? Any other tips?
Source: http://frecklednest.typepad.com/la/2012/08/my-entry.html
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