These are the seven worst habits of workaholics…

1. Forgetting to relax
While some stress can be good because it keeps you alert and motivated, too much stress or chronic stress will take its toll on your body.

2. Eating on the go
Between meetings, conference calls and deadlines, workaholics forget to take out time to sit down for a healthy lunch. But a good meal is exactly what a person needs to stay mentally sharp throughout the day.

3. Putting off sleep for work
Even busy professionals need seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Missing out on sleep can lead to irritability, difficulty concentrating, memory problems and poor judgment. It has also been linked to obesity.

4. Not making time for exercise
Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise most days is very important to immediate and future health.

5. Working even when sick
Many people come to work despite being ill. But there are three common sense reasons to stay home – Nobody wants your germs, you’ll be less productive and you need your rest to get better.

6. Drinking (too much)
Excessive drinking can lead to alcoholism, liver disease and some forms of cancer.

7. Skipping annual medical checkups
In order to detect problems early, prevent others from developing and get the best treatment if you have a condition, you need to know what’s going on in your body.

[via Huffington Post]

Image via Wikipedia

Telecommuting or home-based work is now gaining traction and popularity among Filipino workers and companies. Whether it is a design, programming, creative or technical job, telecommuting is now the “IN” thing, especially in this age of broadband internet and mobile communication. Is the work-from-home setup the new system that we Filipinos should adopt in our working society?

Here are some of advantages of having a home-based type of job, based on my personal experience as a home-based creative designer.

Saves money
Working from home, means that your work place (in my case, my work desk) is just be steps away from your bed. It would save you gas or commuting money. Saving up those precious 8 pesos jeepney fares or 15 pesos LRT fare every day can buy you a prepaid load or even cellphone a year! Do the math on your gas savings.

Reduces stress
Our mass transit is so messed up! You have to wrestle your way into public utility vehicles and trains before you can reach your workplace. And because your work is at home, you can sleep late and wake up late. No more deductions in your payroll just for being 15 minutes late because the MRT decided to conk out just before your stop. You can also do overtime and not be afraid to go “home” late at night. Iwas holdaper din.

More time to do other things
Because less time is spent on the road, you are left with more time to do other things like, spending time with your family, cleaning your room or making extra money from those side projects. You can also bring your Wifi-enabled laptop or mobile phone out in the park or beach and do your work from there, but that wouldn’t qualify as working from your home, would it? :p

Less pollution and less traffic
Imagine if just one-eighth of Metro Manila’s white-collar employees work at their homes. There would be no need to drive to the office and as a result would mean less traffic.

These are just some of the benefits on having a home-based job. Perfect as it may seem, this kind of setup also has its downsides which I will write on my next post.

Even so, I think Filipino employers and corporations should try checking out to see if the work that they are doing now in their offices can be accomplished, with the same level and quality, on a telecommuting arrangement. For example, a start-up company can save money by making some if not all their employees work from their own homes saving them on office rent expenses.

Employers may be surprised how cost-efficient it may be in the long run.