You’ve listened to all the motivational speakers, attended the workshops, and worked harder than anybody else in the office. Your exhaustion is a testament to your work ethic. If you can give up sleep entirely to get that promotion, you won’t hesitate to do so.
That’s society’s perception of hard work today, and it poses a problem. It’s characterized by impossible feats done in impossible schedules, which does you more harm than good.
In your pursuit of excellence, you’ve overlooked the simple things that make the most difference.
Mind Your Body
If you’ve been Salt Lake City’s biggest desk jockey for years, you’ve suffered from back and neck pain more than once. They don’t call sitting the new cigarette for no reason, after all.
Apart from the many hours you spend glued to your chair, you might’ve also forgotten about your gym membership. The physical activity you get has been reduced to walking, tapping your feet, and crouching to pick up a file clip. Taking up a more active lifestyle gives you an advantage by preventing serious health risks like heart disease and diabetes.
Consider clearing up your schedule for meditation classes and a visit to a chiropractor. When you address your stress and physical needs, many things in your life improve. One of them is your mood, which affects how you deal with work more than you might expect.
Refuse a Second Cup
Coffee is notorious for keeping the company of insomniacs and late-night workers. The occasional cup does wonders for the times you need to stay awake to meet a deadline. Too much caffeine, though, might do more than keep your eyes peeled at night. Overconsumption triggers anxiety, high blood pressure, and fatigue, among others.
It’s difficult to avoid the morning cup from every shop on your way to the office. Go ahead and buy one. The key to experiencing its health benefits is to keep your dosage light.
When you’re tempted to turn on the coffee maker for the third time, opt for an alternative like stretching. Make sure to stay hydrated as well. Drinking lots of water gets your blood flowing and can relieve the ill-effects of too much coffee.
Manage Your Time
Excellent time management skills don’t attempt to fill every minute of the day with an activity. The kind that benefits you is the one that marks the start and end of office work. It also includes leisure activities alone and with peers.
Overcrowding your schedule compels you to form unhealthy habits. There’s also the stress of not being able to commit to them, which only leaves you feeling like an incompetent employee. When you learn to balance work and social activities, you form better relationships and improve your productivity. This will take getting used to, but you’ll soon appreciate the part in your calendar that’s saved for rest.
Turning your back on toxic habits isn’t easy. You’ll make mistakes along the way. What’s important is that you persevere to break free from your misconceptions of hard work. The all-work-no-play mentality is a recipe for disaster that you don’t want to keep using.
