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workaholic recovery

ADHD Money    ADHD Time + Energy    Blog    Minimalism for ADHD Adults

The Minimalist Approach to Workaholism

Caren Magill, MA, ACC, AACC,, MA, AACC, ACC
April 24, 2017

Head's up, there could be affiliate links ahead!


This is a personal post about something I’m struggling with now. I’m sharing it because I bet I’m not the only who might need the wake-up call, and the action steps to solve it.

Over the past several months I’ve been working to become more minimalist and intentional in my personal world with a hope to cultivate more engagement in the work that I do, but also more joy overall.

 

minimalist workaholic

What I’ve noticed through this process is that I’m an over-worker. Not sure I like the term workaholic, but I do work too much, and lately, that’s started to take a toll on my personal happiness. The overworking started several years ago when I was trying to get a food start-up off the ground (it got about 10 feet up in the air before it crash landed, metaphorically speaking) and it’s a habit that I’ve never let go of. So I continue to work evenings and weekends in addition to my professional day job, with my new side hustle.

The left brain, suck-it-up-buttercup side of me says “this is good. It will help you reach your goals faster so you can enjoy life more”. My right brain, the idealist in me (I’m a Gemini folks) says, “but you’re wasting life now doing all this work and you’re not promised tomorrow”. Both sides have equally valid points.

In a perfect world, I’d retire early from my 9 to 5 work with enough resources that it wouldn’t matter if my passion projects provided income or not. I could just focus on them full-time because I love the work.  I have a strong conviction around this because I think following a passion for your primary income is really bad career advice. But I’m not financially ready to retire, and I’m not willing to put off my passion projects until retirement because:

  • It’s my creative outlet (although still work).
  • It will help me retire early so that I can do this full-time.

But something has to give because I feel like my brain is working 24/7. As I become more minimal and intentional, I see how my non-stop productivity is creating disconnection with others, compromising my engagement at work and contributing to a low-grade, chronic anxiety. This “always be doing something productive” mindset is starting to chip away at my self-worth because on some level, I’ve adopted a belief that I’m only worthy when I’m working.

This is really bad.

So I’ve spent some time thinking about how I can turn the productivity bus around (or at least slow it down) so that I can balance work and pleasure for a more enjoyable life.

Here’s what I can realistically do to manage my “workaholic tendencies”.

  • Take the ear buds out of my head, turn off the non-stop learning-based podcasts and audio books and enjoy hearing what’s going on in my brain more.
  • Take little media fasts. I can’t shut my computer down for days on end, but I CAN stop the incessant social media scrolling.
  • Unfollow, unfollow, unfollow until my social media feeds contain only those who bring me joy or value. Pro Tip: want pure Instagram joy? Follow Tuna Melts My Heart and Hamilton Pug. Both are exceptionally adorable pups that leverage social media to advocate pet rescue.
  • Go to bed earlier and leave my phone in another room. I waste at least 30 minutes scrolling social media before bed. Not only is this wasting precious sleep time (I need at least 8 hours a night), but staring at illuminated screens decreases natural melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep. I know I have to do this one.
  • Make more time for friends and family. I love the people in my life, but I find I’m spending more time alone (working) or in surface level engagement through Facebook. I’ve gotten to a point in this obsession to work that I have to think twice about meeting someone for brunch or happy hour because that time might be better spent doing something productive. I can’t believe I even admitted that out loud.

If I were to add a few stretch goals to this list I would also try:

  • Not working at all on Sundays (this would be hard for me)
  • Opting for fiction only audible books.
  • Drive to work in silence.

I am sure I’m not alone in my little obsession to work. I see it in my peers and the folks I follow on social media. Does any of this ring true for you?

PS – In full disclosure, it’s Sunday morning as I write this, so yes…. I’m still working on a Sunday.

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Follow Your Passion - Inspiring words, but bad career advice.
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A Quick Guide to Becoming Minimal

About the Author

Caren Magill, MA, ACC, AACC,

Caren Magill is a Certified ADHD Coach. She works with ADHD business owners and fellow ADHD Coaches to create businesses that support their neurodiversity while making an impact.

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Comments

  1. Troy @ Market History says

    April 24, 2017 at 10:13 pm

    I’m definitely a workaholic. I don’t differentiate between weekends and weekdays, and I work straight through public holidays. However I will take quite a few short vacations when the market is quiet and stocks aren’t moving.

    Reply
    • caren says

      April 24, 2017 at 10:53 pm

      Does that sort of cadence work for you? It seems a little out of balance.

      Reply

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