LIFESTYLE
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Learn to Relax!
Are YOU an Extreme Worker? By Donald E. Wetmore y experience with clients indicates that the number of workaholics in the U.S. is reaching epidemic proportions. This is probably not surprising when one considers today’s highly competitive business environment, combined with decreased job security. About 60% of high earners (which may be defined as someone earning $100,000 or more a year) work more than 50 hours each week. They complain that their health and sleep are suffering, as well as their relationships with spouses and children. In addition, approximately 35% of the workforce gives up vacation time to work more, and a third of those surveyed felt guilty about taking time off. Other causes for the increase of workaholics include technology such as BlackBerries®, laptops, and cell phones that can keep people tethered to their jobs 24/7. The following are some warning signs to determine if you are a workaholic — or what I call an extreme worker.
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• Is your enjoyment of social activities decreasing?
• Is the amount of time you spend thinking or worrying about work increasing? • Does your family complain about the number of hours you work? • Are you usually the last one to leave the office? Choose NOT to be a Workaholic Assuming that you DON’T want to be a workaholic, what can you do about it? Two strategies may prove helpful. Start by determining in advance the number of hours you wish to spend on the job. This ties in with the concept that a project tends to expand with the amount of time allocated for it. For example, if you give yourself 10 hours a day to do your work, it will take 10 hours. Most people WILL fill in that time. On the other hand, if you choose to give youself eight hours in the day to do your work, and no more than that, most people will find yourself themselves getting it done within that time. People who limit themselves to a reasonable workday in order to create more balance in their lives will automatically become more affective at planning and managing time. These folks are less willing to spend time in wasteful meetings,
t’s surprising how little most Americans know about the art of relaxation. It’s more than getting away from the workday grind or the absence of stress. It’s something positive in which one experiences peace of mind. True relaxation requires becoming sensitive to one’s basic needs for peace, self-awareness, thoughtful reflection — and the willingness to meet these needs rather than ignoring or dismissing them. Learning this concept is becoming increasingly important. The continuing pressures of everyday life — in the form of high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers, etc. — take a heavy toll on people’s physical and mental well-being. What’s more, many people in our productionoriented society feel guilty, or at least ill-at-ease, when when they’re not actively involved in
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Employee Assistance Report
Lifestyle Tips Insert
October 2007
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LifestyleTIPS© 2007 Impact Publications, Inc. 1439 Churchill Street, Unit 302, PO Box 322, Waupaca, WI 54981 Phone: 715-258-2448 Fax: 715-258-9048
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Healthy Recipe: Crunchy Pork Cutlets
Website: www.impact-publications.com Email: info@impact-publications.com
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
• 1 pound pork loin, cut into
1. Place flour in bowl and season with salt and pepper. In a second bowl, whisk eggs with water and place bread crumbs in a third, shallow bowl. 2. Dip each pork slice in flour. Pat off excess flour, dip in egg and then bread crumbs, coating evenly. 3. Lightly coat skillet with vegetable oil and place over medium-high heat. Fry cutlets in a single layer, until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. 4. Drain on paper towels. Chop into slices and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with your favorite sauce for dipping.
1/4-inch slices • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour • 2 eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon water • 1 cup dry bread crumbs • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil • barbecue or other sauce for dipping • salt and pepper to taste
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: • Calories per serving: 253 • Fat: 9 g. • Protein: 19 g. • Sodium: 420 mg. • Carbohydrates: 19 g. • Fiber: 0 g. • Saturated fat: 2 g.
Try Something New and Different! Mental health specialists have some suggestions for relaxing: • Don’t be afraid to try something new and different. Choose activities you enjoy, not activities you think other people want you to pursue. • Check out various community activities available through local recreation departments, adult education programs, etc. • Go for a leisurely walk or bike ride around your neighborhood. • For the more physically fit, take up jogging, tennis, etc. • Not a sports type? Try reading a good book, listening to music, or take a painting, cooking, or other class. • Try mental exercises, such as concentrating on relaxing successive sets of muscles from the tips of your toes to the muscles in your forehead. Remember, finding effective techniques for relaxation isn’t merely a pastime for the rich, it’s essential for physical and mental well-being. v Source: “Plain Talk about the Art of Relaxation.”
Employee Assistance Report
Serving size: 1 cutlet, sliced. v
Publisher: Jennifer Heisler Health Consultant: Tim Lencki Managing Editor: Mike Jacquart LifestyleTIPS© is published as a monthly insert included with an EAR subscription. Contents are not intended as a substitute for actual medical advice. Editorial material should be used with discretion by the reader and is not endorsed by the owner, publisher, editors, or distributers. To order a personalized, color version of LifestyleTIPS© with the name of your EAP,
call 715-258-2448 or email us at
info@impact-publications.com. Pricing will vary depending on the quantity ordered.
Extreme Workers
for example, and will experience fewer interruptions. Second, take a regular, hard look at your “To Do” list and identify the items that can be delegated. There is a big difference between “I do it” and “It gets done.” The latter is more important, but letting go of tasks is difficult for most extreme workers. In my executive coaching career, I’ve helped many clients to free themselves of workaholism. In the majority of these cases, the problem stems from an inability and unwillingness to delegate jobrelated tasks. If you firmly believe in the adage that, “If you want a
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job done well, you have to do it yourself,” you are sentencing yourself to the “prisoner” mindset of an extreme worker. Ask yourself, what’s the worst thing that would happen if someone else did it? If you can honestly say that the job would get done, and get done adequately, then why are you still doing it? Maybe most of us can’t do anything about our workloads, but there’s always something that we can do about how we choose to look at them. v Dr. Donald E. Wetmore is a professional speaker with the Connecticut-based Productivity Institute and Time Management Seminars. For more information, email ctsem@msn.com or visit www.balancetime.com.
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something. Even vacations become whirlwind productions that leave participants exhausted after cramming too many experiences into too short a period of time. Such behavior undermines the value of “vacation.” Rather than pursuing “relaxation” in the same whirlwind way, especially now that summer vacations are over, more people need
Lifestyle Tips Insert
to learn how to gain satisfaction out of just being instead of always doing. Hobbies and other activities are great when done correctly, but remember that relaxation, not achievement, should be the main reason for doing them. v Source: “Plain Talk about the Art of Relaxation,” by Louis E. Kopolow, M.D., and the National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
October 2007