Do You Have TWHD?

Vacation guilt syndrome, afternoon flu, procrastination blues and take work home disorder. You may not have heard of these conditions, but chances are you've suffered from them. Though fictional, these "illnesses" could have a big impact on your career.

Here are a few examples of common workplace ailments and prescriptions for recovering from them:

Ailment No. 1: Vacation guilt syndrome

Diagnosis: This syndrome doesn't discriminate, keeping countless workers at the office five days a week, 52 weeks a year. It's all too easy to come up with a reason you can't take a vacation. Excuses include having too much work to do, not wanting to ask someone else to take on your assignments or worrying that you'll forget to complete everything before you leave. Any of these can cause you to feel guilty and forgo some necessary days away from work.

Prescription: Plan ahead. It helps to notify manager as early as possible, so you can work prepare for your time away from work. Together, you can determine who will take on your assignments while you're gone and which projects can wait for your return. Also, use your out-of-office functions so people who call or e-mail you know that you're away, whom they should contact in the interim and when you'll return. With preparation, you'll be able to take a much-needed break and come back to work refreshed.

Ailment No. 2: Afternoon flu

Diagnosis: After a long day, the afternoon rolls around and suddenly you feel your energy wane. Tackling another assignment seems impossible. Instead, you're thinking about heading home and hoping the clock will suddenly speed forward a few hours.

Prescription: Reorganize and rejuvenate. If you're consistently dragging toward the end of the day, you might need to organize your schedule differently. By taking on urgent and thought-intensive tasks in the morning, you can focus on low-priority assignments that don't require as much concentration later in the afternoon. Don't forget to take a break, go for a short walk or eat a light snack to keep your energy level high. If a last-minute emergency arises, you'll be better able to tackle it.

Ailment No. 3: Procrastination blues

Diagnosis: You most likely get the blues when a particularly tough project looms, rendering you unable to tackle it for days, if not weeks. You're convinced it will take too long, involve work that doesn't interest you or prove too difficult. Whatever the reason, your tasks continue to pile up.

Prescription: Break projects into smaller portions. Instead of allowing an assignment to remain unattended, break it into more easily accomplished parts. For instance, if you're indexing a box of documents, separate them into small, manageable piles. Tackling the piles one at a time will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed and allow you to make gradual progress. Before you know it, the project will be finished and off your desk.

Ailment No. 4: Take work home disorder (TWHD)

Diagnosis: This malady seems to strike at the busiest, most stressful times. When afflicted, you've fallen so far behind in your assignments that you're forced to take work home with you at night and over weekends.

Prescription: Develop a game plan. Preparation and focus are the keys to efficiency at the office. At the end of each day, invest some time in identifying the next day's tasks and ranking them in terms of priority. Review your to-do list in the morning to ensure you start the day by focusing on the most important projects. By taking care of pressing tasks early in the day, you have a better chance of being finished with everything by the time you go home. If you find yourself with chronic TWHD, you should talk to your manager about re-evaluating your workload.

Informing yourself about these ailments will give you the tools needed to fend them off and keep working as efficiently and effectively as ever. If only avoiding a common cold were as easy.

Robert Half International is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 360 offices worldwide. For more information about our professional services, please visit www.rhi.com.

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