It's not healthy to work this way

Working hard has side-effects.

[chocorol]

Since January of this year I've been working like a workaholic in my sites. It's something I really enjoy and I'm starting to see the results of my work but recently I've noticed some changes in my habits and in my conduct that I don't like at all.

Usually, I go to bed at 4 o 5 am and wake up at 11 am. I don't go out very often and if I do, I'm thinking all the time about things that could be done to improve my sites. I've become an irritable person and I don't go to the gym anymore.

I'm coming back to school next week, so I hope that help me changing my habits.

What do you do in order to keep healthy habits while you work on your sites?

[Jane_Doe]

What do you do in order to keep healthy habits while you work on your sites?

I took most of the summer off to catch up on other projects and spend more time with my family.

Also, I'm trying to do things like exercise and make social plans a priority and then work in the time left over instead of the other way around.

[smells so good]

The first thing to do is to recognize the problem, which you have done. Next, figure out what you can do to make changes, which you are doing. Frankly, I think we would get along great :)

It's difficult at times, but I cut off all work at midnight and go to bed. There's no other recourse. If I try to justify continuing to work then it will be 3 or 4 am before I'm too tired to keep going. Of course, that makes starting the next day more difficult, contributing my daily demeanor.

Take a day off! Pick a day out of the week and don't work. Period. Go somewhere, do something else, don't even turn on the computer. C'mon, you can do it for a day. Be sure you try to engage your brain in some other activity or else you'll spend the day not working, but thinking about your work all day... might as well be working.

Get a hobby. Mine is the lawn. I've spent all summer with implements and seeds and fertilizers and sprinklers. Sometimes I only spend a few minutes, other times I might spend hours. The point is that I'm not working (yeah right).

[LifeinAsia]

I used to be a workaholic like that and refused to take any type of break because "I can't afford the time." After a while I realized I was spinning my wheels and my productivity had dropped a lot. I spent a lot of time working, but didn't seem to be accomplishing much.

I finally learned that you MUST take a break and mix in other interests to stay fresh. Let your subconscious mind work on some work-related things while your conscious mind does something fresh.

It's very hard to start, but once you start stepping back from things for a break, you return much fresher and more productive.

Exercise is a MUST! Get your body moving and your heart pumping. It helps increase bloodflow to the brain, and you need fresh blood up there to continue to be productive. :)

Socializing is another MUST! Otherwise, you become more and more like a hermit in a cave. Meeting with other people, especially people outside your area of expertise, helps give you a fresh perspective on things. They help trigger new ideas and possibly different ways of going about things.

[pixeltierra]

I've learned the hard way to limit my work hours to standard business hours. I feel much better. When a new potential client says can you meet at 3pm on Sunday, now I won't do it. On weekdays, around 6 or 7pm my internal whistle blows and I'm off the clock. Even though I work from home (my bedroom), I generally refuse work related stuff after "hours". Of course it's 3:20am now, and what am I doing...

But it doesn't count as work to hang out on WebmasterWorld. : )

[nickbj]

Here in the UK our internet slows right down in the early evening, so working on line becomes SOOOOOOOOOOO tedious...
So I'm trying (without much success as yet) to get up earlier in the morning to work on line.
At least it stops me from working around the clock like a lot of you guys seem to be doing.
Recreation is important. We're off to visit Nostel Priory today.
Feeds the brain, and livens up the grey matter...
Nick.

[chocorol]

Thanks for your advices. I'm going to try to impose myself a schedule. I wont work after midnight and I will set my alarm at 8 am.

Also, I will try to go out more. I've just talked with a friend and we'll go out to get some meals, hope that distracts me from the work.

[rocknbil]

Word to all, if you don't heed the advice here and heed it now when you get older it's just one more task you need to throw on your daily stack, figuring out how to swim against the burnout. :-(

I thought I'd have an endless well of energy from which to draw, that my creativity and drive was self-empowering. Well, it ISN'T. I came to a point in my life where I nearly imploded, and would have, had I not kicked myself in the tushe and took a second look. Going back to square one and resetting the boundaries as described here ws not easy, but it allowed me to survive. I think. :-)

[digitaltoast]

Here in the UK our internet slows right down in the early evening, so working on line becomes SOOOOOOOOOOO tedious...

Hmmm, I'd strongly suggest getting broadband. If you have broadband, I'd strongly suggest switching to someone who doesn't suffer this!

I've not seen time-based slowdowns with:
Zen, BTinternet, Hi-Velocity (though their support isn't worth the hassle) or Bulldog (same as previous, but my 8Mb package is so cheap I can't be bothered to move!

On the topic of the OP - you're body is not made for 3 or 4 am finishes. There is STRONG evidence that pushing unnatural times increases the likelihood of some cancers (links aren't allowed here, but google for
cancer night shift )

And making the gym or some exercise an unbreakable appointment is essential. Trust me, you can get real fat real quick! Healthy body=healthy mind.

[Bewenched]

I hear ya! Unfortunately I have to do all my data-pushes late late at night to avoid interrupting customers as much as possible. but working till 3-4am has been killing me too. Just today I slept for 7 hours right in the middle of the day just to catch up on much needed sleep.

Maybe I'll dust off one of my computer games tonight and play.... seems much more fun that catching up on laundry! Which I desperately need to do with the kids starting school on monday.