Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Born Again Workaholic: 8 Ways to Curb Your Workaholism

Image courtesy of Prakairoj
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Summer is almost over. You might be on vacation, about to leave, or just coming back. Maybe you – clutch the pearls – haven’t taken any time off this year yet and don’t plan to. Take it from the woman who just took her first vacay ever: this is a bad move. You’re important but you are not indispensible. And you’re even better when you’ve had a break from the daily grind. So, from one workaholic to another here are eight ways to dial it back a notch:

  1. Cut your to do list in half, then half it again so you can see and do what’s really important. Let the rest go. It’s not getting done anyway.
  2. Stop trying to do “just one more thing.”
  3. Stop working until you pass out in front of your computer.
  4. If you set an alarm to get up for work, maybe you need to set one to stop.
  5. If you have sick time, use it. Don’t be a hero. And yes, mental health days count. (If you’re job doesn’t give you sick time, go to work, infect everybody, and force the company to change its policy. Think of it as the real meaning of going viral.)
  6. Take a real grown-up vacation, not just a weekend.
  7. Have your non-workaholic friends do an intervention. Tell them to remind you how much more productive you are after taking time off.
  8. Remember that working hard doesn’t mean working yourself to death. Dying at your desk is no way to go. And no, your funeral doesn’t count as a vacation.

Now go play. Go on. I mean it. Don’t make me get up.


The Urban Erma, the longest running column on StageTimeMagazine.com, was created and written by stand-up comedian Leighann LordListen to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher RadioWatch the video edition on YouTube.comIf you enjoy The Urban Erma please leave a comment, Like it on Facebook, follow on Twitter, And share it with your friends. (Share it with people who are not your friends and maybe they will be.) 

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Vacation: No Laptop Required! A Cautionary Tale for Over-Achieving Workaholics with a Fear of Failure

Me and my Bestie
roaming the streets of Rome!
I come from an immigrant culture of color and so my parents taught me to work hard. Very hard. Work hard and then work some more. Get a job, a second job, and a side hustle. Hustle on both sides. Oh hell, just make it a 360 degree hustle.  What I didn’t learn, was how to slow down and relax without feeling lazy.


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Monday, August 4, 2014

Curb Your Hostility

Image courtesy of stockimages
/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I recently travelled to a section of the city that I’ve never really been to before. I got the distinct impression that because I wasn't a member of the local ethnic group currently living there that the niceties were going to be nonexistent. Cold stares, rolled eyes, if I was even acknowledged at all. Did I hear even one "excuse me?" when I was bumped into or pushed past? Nope.