How to Cure Your Addiction to Work During a Lockdown

Have repeated lockdowns and the WFH lifestyle made you addicted to work? Here are a few methods to regain your well-being.

Are you working more than you should, and is it making you feel burnt out? If so, the chances are that lockdown and the always-on work from home (WFH) lifestyle have made you addicted to work.

But don't worry, you're not alone. Most entrepreneurs and business owners feel this way all the time. But the most important thing is to be aware of what's happening with you.

If you are aware of this problem, let's find out how you can overcome this addiction by optimizing your focus.

1. Redefine Your Purpose and Understand What Success Means to You

No wonder you think the more you work, the better your business can achieve or the more money you can make.

But is it all that you need?

It's time you reflect on why did you start doing what you do in the first place. And think about what success means to you. Is it all about money and status? Does your self-worth revolve around the paycheck you receive or the position you've attained in the workplace?

Or did you start working to live a happy and carefree life with your family?

If your answer to success is the latter, then it's time you change the way you work and seek balance.

How to Do It

Here's a journal template from JournalingHabit.com that you can use to work more productively and keep things running on time. This way, you can also spend quality time with your loved ones.

You can also create a template yourself using these tips:

• Start with writing a quote on top
• List today's goals with their priorities and outcomes
• Set aside time for unplanned work
• Write sub-tasks to keep track of your primary goal

2. Focus Only on the Essentials and Eliminate the Rest

Your most essential asset is your attention. There's always something that needs to be done, but how you see it and how you work on it makes the difference.

Always prioritize your responsibilities and omit the tasks that bring minimal value and take most of your time.

Also, avoid multitasking and give your full attention to whatever you're doing at the moment. Your family, your mind, and your body should also get the benefits of your entire focus.

How to Do It

Here are a few apps that can help you keep focus.

Freedom helps you block distractions from both your phone and your laptop. So there's no way that you can block a website on your phone only to access it on your laptop.

However, after a limited free trial, you'd need to pay $6.99 per month. The app is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Chrome.

Download: Freedom for Windows and Mac | iOS | Android | Chrome ($6.99/month, free trial available)

Cold Turkey Blocker is designed for people addicted to work. Along with blocking apps and websites, it can also prevent you from using your computer entirely.

Set a schedule for when you want to keep yourself from using your computer, and until the period is over, you'll see a black screen.

You can get unlimited blocking schedules for $39/mo. The app is available for Windows and macOS.

Download: Cold Tukey for Windows and macOS ($39/month, free trial available)

3. Redefine Your Expectations for Your Goals (or Boss)

If you want to eliminate your work addiction and obtain a good work-life balance, you'd need help. It's hard to do it alone.

If you're an employee, have a meeting with your boss to discuss your problem and explain how you're going to tackle it by sticking to a proper work schedule. One of the best ways to convince your bosses is to give them some solid reasons why it'll work the best not only for you but for the firm too.

For instance, tell them you'll leave work at 6 pm from now on. A concrete schedule will help you stay focused on your work, resulting in better performance and on-time project deliverables. Plus, it'll enable you to wind down and give more time to your family and yourself.

For entrepreneurs, it's just the same. Leave your desk at the exact hour you've decided, and spend your after-work time with your family or doing something you enjoy.

How to Do It

Here are a few apps that can help you do it easily.

Way of Life helps you find out how much you have done towards a single goal the entire month in the form of statistics. All you have to do is set an action/s and mark whether it's a good or a bad thing to do.

The app will give you reminders and provide you with a complete chart of your positive and negative actions towards your goal. It's available for both Android and iOS.

Download: Way of Life for Android | iOS (Free, offers in-app purchases)

Coach.me helps you keep track of your goals and award you for your progress. You can also network with the people around the country trying to achieve their goals and share your experience.

The app also comes with an upgrade for $15, enabling you to hire a coach. It's available for both Android and iOS.

Download: Coach.me for Android | iOS (Free)

4. Get More Done in Less Time Without Maintaining a Sky-High Level of Discipline

The best way to make more room for essential activities is to get more done in less time.

For instance, what happens is, if a task requires two hours to be done, but you keep engaging in the incoming emails, work chat, or with your coworkers, you finish it in three hours.

These non-essential things are actually stealing your time that you can use otherwise. But you can get rid of this habit.

How to Do It

Try Pomodoro Technique to manage your time efficiently. The method was invented in the late 1980s by a university student, Francesco Cirillo.

It basically requires you to track your time with Pomodoro (the Italian word for tomatoes). One Pomodoro is equal to 25 minutes. You can set as many Pomodoros for your tasks and separate them by a 5 minutes break.

The only condition is you cannot do anything in those 25 minutes but work. Once you have completed four Pomodoros, you can take a big break of 15-30 min.

5. Prioritize Your Health and Practice Meditation to Achieve Better Results

If your company achieves the position you want it to, or you collect enough assets for yourself, but by that time, you're unable to enjoy it, will it hold any value?

No, right?

And that's why it's essential to prioritize your health while working. Plus, good health is what makes you keep going. After all, achieving one goal and retiring afterward is no one's goal.

Besides that, you also need to keep your mind calm and free from stress to make quick and better decisions. And practicing meditation can be an excellent remedy for it.

How to Do It

Here are few apps that can help you do just that.

Fabulous: Self Care helps you find focus, keep you motivated, and sleep properly. It's free and available for both Android and iPhone.

Download: Fabulous Self Care for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

Headspace is a meditation app with many mini-guides and sounds to help you meditate. You can get it for $12.99 per month after a limited free trial. It's available for both Android and iPhone.

Download: Headspace for Android | iOS ($12.99/month, free trial available)

It's Time to Achieve More Both in Work and Life

Everything in nature seeks balance, and so does your life.

The results you achieve with non-stop work may seem reasonable on the surface. But if they cost you your health and relationships, they're not worth it.

So, try the explained methods with the resources provided. You'll definitely get some great success, not just in work but in life too.

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