Is Your Job Driving You Crazy?

As we enjoy the last days of summer, it's a perfect time to plan your next vacation or weekend getaway. Here's my latest food for thought……….without the calories . Please feel free to pass this email along to others you think might benefit. 

During a recent coaching call, a client spoke a familiar refrain when she shared, “my job is driving me crazy!” She went on to say that she was spending most of her waking hours in her office or thinking about her job. “I don't have a life! Am I a workaholic or just a masochist?”

As a coach, I hear this or some variation on this theme nearly everyday. Most people are spending more time than ever in work related activities and for many, it's proving to be an exhausting and unfulfilling way to live a life. I often wonder if career and identity have become so tightly bound together that we have become people who are exclusively defined by the work we do.

Working hard and workaholism are not the same. Some people are truly inspired by what they do for a living while others are work-obsessed, often resulting in self-destructive behaviors. While m ost of us realize that overwork and long hours diminish our effectiveness, we continue the frantic pace to try to keep up. For those whom work is the only thing in their lives, they pay the price with their health, their relationships, their sense of well-being and ironically, their work performance. So how can you tell if you're inspired or if you're among the many for whom work is an addiction? Here are a few questions for you to ponder:

1.) Do you schedule playtime, take vacations, and other time off on a regular basis (times when you're not checking emails, voicemails or taking work with you)?

Beverly Potter, author of Preventing Job Burnout says, “When a workaholic isn't working, she feels itchy and restless. She craves work as if it were an additive drug.” Time off is a chance to renew your energy, gain some perspective and reconnect with what's really important in your life. Schedule lunch breaks, exercise/health related activities, vacations and long weekend getaways on your calendar a year in advance. Then honor them. My husband and I spend time each New Years Day scheduling our playtime for the year on our calendars.

2.) What are you avoiding in your life?

Often work is used as an excuse to not deal with the demands and expectations of relationships or home life. Dealing with the issues at work may seem easier than working on ourselves, finding or nurturing meaningful personal relationships or creating a fulfilling life outside of work. Start by setting up “dates” with yourself to take on some of the things you've said you've always wanted to do. A good friend recently decided to take the singing lessons she had always dreamed about and the joy she experiences translates into all areas of her life.

3.) What price are you paying for your choices?

Exhaustion, resentment, anxiety, unfulfilling relationships, guilt, a longing for things to be different are all common symptoms of overwork. Isn't it time to ask yourself how much longer you're willing to tolerate the status quo? A week, a month, a year?? Decide and then contemplate this question: “If I had more time, I would………………

Pick 3 things from your list and put them into your schedule and watch your personal and professional life improve and flourish over time.

Here's the thing. It's not your job that's driving you crazy; it's you that's driving you crazy. The good news is that you have control over how you spend your time, how you live your life. Isn't it time for you to take that control to create the life you really want? If you're interested in knowing how coaching can help you do just that, visit my website www.coachsandrawright.com or give me a call to explore the possibilities.

Sandra Wright, Executive & Personal Coach

"Partnering with those ready to create a significant change in their personal and professional lives."

PO Box 1852
Gig Harbor , WA . 98335
253.857.8602
Email:sandra@coachsandrawright.com
www.coachsandrawright.com