Productivity and Insomnia

Hi. My name is A, and I am a workaholic. I recently had a work evaluation and was told that I was an extremely high performer and probably worked too much. It's so easy to do everything when you are capable of doing so much, so I usually DO EVERYTHING. Lately, however, I have made an attempt to try to cut back and say "no," but this is like an alcoholic saying "no" to a free drink. If I do manage to let the "N" word fall from my lips, I go into withdrawals, thinking about how much I would enjoy doing that task I just turned down.

I recently committed to write an article for a book being produced by a professional organization, one of two organizations in which I happen to be serving as a leader. What was I thinking? I also have to finish writing requirements for a new software by the end of this month. Yes, two days away.

I came home from work on Friday and intentionally forgot where my work phone was. Saturday morning, I woke, and immediately started grouting and caulking my kitchen backsplash I made a couple of weeks ago. Then I pulled up two pieces of loose slate off the floor (no small job) and replaced and regrouted them. Not very exciting for some, but I enjoyed the work and it kept my mind off of my job.

Normally I sleep rather well, but for the past week, I have been waking up between 3-4 AM thinking about work. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you realize you have a problem. So here is my recovery plan:

• I have removed the e-mail push from work to my personal phone, and when I leave work, I won't look at my work phone until I am at work again.
• Go back and UN-commit to write the article.
• I will work on projects at home to keep my mind off of my job, or spend time on hobbies - if I can remember what those were . . .
• I will exercise regularly to help reduce stress and start taking Yoga again.
• I will schedule "Think" time during my work week so that when I come home, my mind will be able to stop thinking about my job. (This was my boss' idea)
• I will say no to outside obligations that are not "crystal" or critical.

Well, on a health note, I have been able to maintain the weight I took off for two months now, which is a success on its own, but now I realize I can healthily drop a few more pounds to get in even better shape for the summer. Not only will exercise help reduce stress, it will help me be healthier!

Unfortunately, I think I caught strep from a co-worker at a retreat on Thursday. I never eat community food where random hands have wandered (pretzels, bowls of chips, etc.) but I broke my own rule, thinking everyone there was healthy. My bad. The fact that I can't swallow just might be the reason I am writing this at 4:00 AM. Just five more hours until the Dr.'s office opens. . .