Angie Olloren

Are You a Workaholic? Here’s 5 Ways to Keep ‘Working’ Even if You’re Off Duty Who doesn’t love weekends? Many people live for weekends—young and old alike. But if you’re a workaholic, that’s another story. Burning the candle on both ends may be ok for you, but a lot of wellness studies out there now advocate working smart and hard during the times you’re supposed to work. After an intense period of work, taking full rest over the weekend to recharge your energy is now considered to be good for your health. While this advice can be difficult to implement, particularly if you like your job, it can have long term benefits to your wellness. For those of you out there who can’t stop checking email on a Sunday morning, here are some tips you can do on a weekend whose positive effects will carry over into your regular week. Tip 1. Enroll in an online class. The topic you enroll in can be as near or as far to your actual work as you like. It could be an online class with cooking demos and other chef techniques you’ve wanted to learn since you were a kid. Or it could be an in-depth accounting course to help you crunch numbers faster and more efficiently when doing your tax return. There’s a whole plethora of things to choose from, and you’re sure to find one class that tickles your fancy! Tip 2. Get moving! There are so many options nowadays for the most exercise-challenged person; it’s a shame not to engage in some sort of physical activity. Group sports like running, golf, basketball and even coaching your kids’ Little League team are great networking opportunities. In addition to losing weight and feeling better, you might find your next key client on the greens or running beside you in a half marathon. Exercise + networking is a terrific formula to convince even the most die-hard workaholics to get their muscles moving. Tip 3. Connect to a higher source. Even if you don’t consider yourself religious, having a dedicated time-out each week where the goal is to slow down and just be will have a nice ripple effect on your busy mind. We all have our own chosen way to unwind whether it’s the spa, the basketball half court or a religious experience that moves the soul. Find something that works for you, and schedule it in each quarter as an investment in yourself. Who knows what divine spark of business inspiration you might receive if you went on a retreat… Tip 4. Fall in love with Nature. Take a weekend trip every few months or so to do a looong, oxygenating recharge of your urban lungs. Pressed for time? For shorter stints, going for a walk in the park (not necessarily with any fitness or mileage goal), pausing to look at trees, smell the air and enjoying the view can be quite relaxing. Mother Nature is a wonderful alternative to loud gym music or pounding feet on pavement to get calories off. Tip 5. Give back. Some ecommerce business owners are active in their church and find fulfillment in community services. Helping others to succeed and reaching out to those in need is a surefire way to improve your leadership skills. Counseling and mentoring are also a great way to give back your know-how to others in need of a person to help them achieve their goals. Finding a way to share your blessings with others is an act of leadership and inspires others around you to do the same. Giving back also builds a strong local community and affects everyone for the better. Conclusion: Doing work itself is not the only way to continue your entrepreneurial mindset. Especially for those whose work is their passion, it can be easy to forget to take care of one’s physical and emotional needs. You can still do things on the weekend that help grow your business if you take a positive attitude about how this activity can benefit you. Don’t be the overweight CEO who says on his or her deathbed, ‘I wish I took more walks to enjoy Nature with my family’. You can have it all, but only if you’re willing to set your priorities straight and create balance in your work-life.