AN APPLE A DAY - 365 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE - A LITTLE KNOWN SECRET FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

START THIS NEW YEAR OFF BY WORKING A LITTLE LESS!

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

We all need to feel productive in life and in our careers, that is just healthy; but working longer than 40 hours a week has surprisingly been proven counter-productive.

Odd as that sounds, according to a study by Stanford professor John Pencavel, output is proportionate to time worked only up to 49 hours. Beyond that, the rate decreases and those who put in 70 hours have the same productivity as those who work 56 hours.

So, enjoy your off time by doing the things that you really want to do with your life!  This is much healthier. 

 Keep work at work and family, hobby and recreation time going on after you have faithfully put in those 40 regular working hours. You will be happier – and happier people stay healthier.

Are you the type of person who has trouble with this?  Below are some tips for the workaholic:

1.  KEEP CONSISTENT WORK HOURS.  Have you been bringing work home in order to finish things sooner?  You are only making a way for more unrealistic deadlines. 

Stop! 

Work hard during the hours that you are required to work; but stop when your eight hours (or whatever time you have originally contracted for in a day) have ended.  Even if you get paid for the extra time - you would be robbing your family and/or your real life of your presence in order to give it to a job where you are very replaceable.   You are NOT replaceable to your family!  I abhor companies that claim to be family.  They lie.  A company can never replace real family and/or friends.  Your job is your job and your family is your family; try never to mix up these two very distint entities.  

You are not really doing anyone any favors by donating all of your time to your work, not even the company that you work for.  Think about this:  How can people do proper scheduling and planning when people like you skew the reality of production?  You are not helping anyone by sneaking tasks home after hours and letting your work consume your life there too.  You give the false illusion that it takes less time to do certain tasks than it really does.  How will anyone ever know the truth and plan accordingly? This is unfair to your co-workers.   Because of deceitful employees like this we have sweat-shops all across America and managers who haven't  a clue about what is really happening.  Others who are doing their best with reality can't live up to the false illusions that you create.  

Join the theme of the “Frozen” movie and “let it go!”   Make that song a ring-tone for your phone if you can’t remember! There are magic health benefits to this process of “letting go.” As long as you have diligently done your part of the contract you made with your employer and worked the hours you agreed to work originally; you need not feel guilt!

When your shift is over - go home!  The benefits are tremendous!  Even the bible verifys this fact. When Jesus says in Luke 10:7 that "the laborer deserves his wages."  You should be paid for the correct amount of hours that it takes to do your job; not an agreed upon wage that you have to donate time to in order to get the task done.  

When your shift is done; go home and tend to your own life.

You can plan better meals, and you will have enough time to cook them properly. 

You will be able to unwind and get the proper rest that you need before tackling those chores fresh in the morning. How are you going to do what you have chosen to do with all of your heart and as if unto the LORD if you are too tired and haven't eaten properly?

Even worse than sneaking work home in the evenings is going in on the weekends because it is quiet and you can be more productive in that environment.  Consider this truth:  You are giving up all of your down time at home because your office is a bit dysfunctional for work!  Why not just fix the real problem instead of adding yet another one?  It all starts with being honest.  Work in the reality of the scene that you are given to work within.  Managers are paid good money to solve problems that are counterproductive in the work place; such things as too many interruptions in your working hours.  You are only ONE member of a whole team.  Be a team player.  Let these people have a chance to do their jobs too. 

2.  GET THE SLEEP THAT YOU NEED TO RECHARGE YOUR BRAIN AND BODY:  If you are working very hard during the day and meeting challenges and deadlines all the time; your brain and your body need to be fresh and relaxed.  This happens best when we get quality sleep every night. 

Leave the unfinished work at work so that your brain can “turn off the office” until tomorrow.

I have an old trick that I’ve used for years.  I picked out a tree near the office.  Driving out I mentally hang the office on that tree and do not pick it back up until the next morning when I pass that tree again.  I don’t talk about work after that.  I don’t think about work after that.  I LEAVE work hanging on that tree.  It is ALWAYS still there when I come back. 

When I pass that tree I begin to think of what I wish to do when I get HOME.  The drive from that tree to my own driveway gives me a time of transitioning away from the challenges of the office and stepping into the comforts of home-sweet-home.  This will definitely improve your marriage.  If you are single; it will improve your relationships with others. It will help you to unwind and relax and SLEEP well.

When I do cross the threshold to home I try to unplug from technology as much as possible after 8 p.m.  This gives my brain time to slow down and stop processing so many random thoughts at a time.  I don’t check e-mails or phone messages or do any on-line work after 8 p.m.  I turn on the answering machine during dinner, and do not check the messages until the next morning.  Reality check here folks:  It is not rude to ignore random calls that are intruding upon the peace and quiet of your home in the evenings.  You do not owe the whole wide world your constant attention!  Ignoring these unrequested interruptions  helps your body to relax as you enjoy the healthy meal that you are preparing because you have chosen to leave work in time to tend to your own needs.  

You can actually focus on the life that you are working to attain!  It is only fair; since you DO work very hard during working hours, that you are able to achieve the lifestyle that you are working to have when you arrive at home!  Not realizing this is the same as beating your head against a brick wall; your efforts will all be wasted. 

3.  GET MORE SUNSHINE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTO YOUR DAY.  When that lunch break comes along – LEAVE for awhile.  Take that mid-day siesta!   You don’t always have to leave with a co-worker either.  Take some time for yourself in the middle of the day.  Get out of the building and into a bit of sunshine somehow.   I often take walks.  I love the feeling of a purely silent lunch – no conversation with anyone – just me and the air that I breathe for a few minutes.  It is relaxing and healthy.

This also applies after you leave the office and come home for the evening.   It is good to try to take a stroll through the neighborhood, or work out at the gym or do a few exercises in your home gym before you begin to prepare your healthy evening meal.  Unwind for the evening.  A few sips of dark red wine never killed anyone.  Some couples like to sip on wine and catch up on each other’s day before they begin to cook dinner.  Just 15 minutes of this casual conversation and a relaxing beverage are often very helpful.   

All of these activities give you even more time to unwind from a very busy day. 

Eat outside whenever you can. Even if it is dark; look at the stars!  Being outside in nature is always more fun.  Walk around the block, or take an extra dish to your neighbor later, or do a little gardening two or three evenings a week.  Go to the park, walk your dog or browse through the local mall and run your errands for a few minutes. You will be amazed at how the stress melts away when you are in tune with nature by getting out-of-doors and moving around a bit more after work.  The face to face contact with the local people in your community is also good and healthy.  Some days seeing another human being smile at you at the end of the day can change your life. 

4.  SPEND MORE TIME WITH THOSE THAT YOU LOVE:  Now that you are keeping a more consistent schedule, don’t waste it becoming a couch potato.  That television is not your best friend!  

Use some of your down time to communicate with your marriage partner, or your close family and friends.  If you are married; plan a few fun evenings for just doing the things you both enjoy together.  Go to a nice restaurant, take a stroll around the park, see that movie you’ve heard about, read a book together, listen to some new music together;  whatever you can imagine that puts a little more spark into your time after work.  These are also fun things to do alone or with a friend if you are single.  

Use a few evenings during the week to invite friends over to your home or accept invitations to visit them.  Share some of your new found  down-time with other family members and friends, just keep a balance.  It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate; invite them for coffee and dessert; or to watch a favorite movie, or to share your hobby with you.  Play cards, just talk or help each other out with a little babysitting.  Find a way to have more people in your evenings and less technology.  Life will definitely get happier.

5.  PICK ONE DAY A WEEK TO BE COMPLETELY RANDOM AND LAZY.  Don’t do any of your regular chores, don’t get out of your pajamas if you don’t want to, just do whatever you are feeling like the most.  

Read a good book, take a long bubble bath, get a haircut, do your nails, have a massage, anything that is relaxing.  This should be a day without a to-do list.  

Watch movies, listen to music, eat out – whatever you can do to relax without letting things become mundane and routine.  Those routine things will still be around tomorrow. 

Take the phone off the hook.  Ignore the answering machine.  Leave your cell phone at home under the bed.  Do NOT check e-mails or social media posts.  Give yourself one day/and/or evening after work with a much needed break in the normal routine without stress or having to be “on.”  

Schedule this time just like any other appointment on your calendar.  If you are like me you will probably pick Monday nights.  That is my night for doing absolutely nothing productive.

Mondays are the hardest day at work; hence Monday nights are the best choice for total down-time at home after work for me.  Don’t tell anyone my secret; I LOVE my Monday nights!

6.  TAKE AN ANNUAL VACATION AND GET AWAY AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.  Just trust me and do it.  You will totally understand after the experience is over.  

All of the above will help you learn not to be a work-aholic.  These things will help you unwind from stressful work days and hence you will sleep much better at night. 

Try them out.  If you do; I promise you will never go back.

There is a secret, untalked-about reward that comes along with all of the above.  You will perform better at work!  You will think clearer, move faster and promote a more positive work place with your attitude and actions.  I’ll bet you might even get a raise!