In Japan, corporations are worried about a trend called “karoshi,” which translates to English as “death from overwork.” In 2006, 355 Japanese workers fell ill, or simply dropped dead, because of heart attacks and stroke due to the stress of working for Japanese corporations. Occupational sudden death is not limited to Japan; there are many cases of diseases, illnesses, suicides, and death all over the world because of people who work too hard. (Learn how to get rid of stress)

 

Being a workaholic may seem like you're passionate about your work, but no job is worth risking your health and your life for. Here are some ways to get rid of your workaholic habits.

 

Why Do You Work Too Hard?

Before you start putting in overtime and taking work home every day, you have to rationalize why you're overworking. Here are some common reasons why workaholics can sometimes work themselves to death:

• Passion.Maybe you like your job too much that you're willing to give up your friends and family to work. Work becomes your reason for living that you don't look forward to vacations or paid leaves at all.
• Promotions.Many workaholics work themselves to death because they want to move up the corporate ladder. From cubicles and basic pay, workaholics want to move up to office suites, bonuses, and just about every perk the boss gets.
• Procrastination. Believe it or not, there are some people who become workaholics by accident. For the first few days of the week, they don't do anything related to work. Come the end of the week, or when the deadlines comes dangerously near, they start to cram their work into a tight schedule. The result us a half-baked project with only half the intended results.

Find Your Passion

Unless you're absolutely sure that you find absolute happiness in your work, then you must find other things and activities that can make you happy aside from work. While there's nothing wrong with being very excited and enthusiastic about work, you also need to find other activities and hobbies that you enjoy. There are lots of activities that you can have fun with on weekends or during breaks:

• Sports. Many offices and companies offer sports like mini-golf, foosball, and some annual company-wide sporting events to keep employees happy and stress-free.
• Books. Reading a book from cover-to-cover every week can help relieve stress, and also adds to your stock of knowledge.
• Movies. Treat yourself to a dinner and a movie every payday to get the stress out of work, and also to reward yourself for being such a hard worker.

Put Things In Perspective

If you're a workaholic because you want a promotion or a pay raise, then you may want to rethink your idea of “work ethic.” You don't have to work overtime every day and take all paperwork home just to impress the boss and the higher-ups. Often the best way to get a pay increase or to get a promotion is to work the best you can, without sacrificing other important things in your life. Bosses would rather promote people who have more commitments, because they can measure how much of an employee's time is devoted towards the company's interests. Having other commitments is also a way for bosses to see if you can manage your time easily and efficiently. Besides, there are other important things you still have to attend to except work. If work takes up too much of your time, then you may need to re-evaluate your work habits. Friends and family may find that you're spending too much time with work, and too little time with them.

Do Your Work On Time

Some workaholics are quite lazy for the first few days of the work week, but turn into working machines at the end of the week. Eight-hour working days are more than enough time for you to finish all your tasks on time, without you having to spend an extra five hours of overtime at the end of the week just to get things done (Tips on how to stay awake and motivated at work). If you complete your work on time, then you create a more positive impression than if you do overtime on a regular basis. Some bosses may also frown upon employees who stay around too long for overtime. Electricity, utility bills, and Internet bandwidth also cost money. Overtime can sometimes jack up maintenance and other operating costs, to the point that overtime becomes detrimental to the company. (Want to exterminate your bad boss? see how to get rid of bad boss)

Ask for a Raise

Some people become workaholics because their jobs don't pay enough, and they may need to file for as many overtime hours as allowed to make as much money as they can. While a few sidelines and a few hours of overtime work can make up for whatever shortfalls you have with your current salary, you would still need to pay for medicines you'll need in case you get sick. Stress can cause many serious health complications like heart attacks, hypertension (Learn how to get rid of hypertension), and other work-related diseases. If you regularly work overtime because you need the money, you may want to ask your boss for a raise or a bonus. Explain to him or her that you deserve it for all the hard work you do. Don't expect that you'll get the raise you want, or that you're going to get a raise at all. It still helps to live within your means instead of working yourself too hard for nothing.

Get a New Job

Sometimes your job may take so much out of you that you may need to find another line of work that's less stressful and better-paying. Physical and mental burnout can take its toll on you, to the point that you start craving for work. When this happens, you may want to reconsider your career options, and file resumes to prospective companies you want to work for.

Seek Professional Help

Stress-management classes and work counseling sessions may help you cope with on-the-job stress. Sometimes severe workaholism may be a result of a mental illness or an emotional disorder. There's nothing wrong with consulting a psychiatrist if you think that your job is taking a serious emotional and mental toll on you. He or she may prescribe medicines, new work routines, or may advise you to get another line of work altogether. Workaholic support groups can also help you cope with job-related stress. When it comes to work, the important thing is to keep yourself content and happy. Occupational sudden death is a very real thing, and has very real consequences. Passion does not have to get in the way of you enjoying your job.