Can workaholism be as bad for productivity as alcoholism?

According to Charles Czeisler, a specialist in sleep deprivation at Harvard Medical School, workaholism might just be.

Dr. Czeisler recently reported that lack of sleep can be as bad for productivity as drinking too much alcohol.

According to Dr. Czeisler : "We now know that 24 hours without sleep, or a week of sleeping four or five hours a night, induces an impairment equivalent to having alcohol level in the blood. We would never say, 'This person is a great worker! He's drunk all the time!' …yet we continue to celebrate people who sacrifice sleep for work."

And Corporate America does promote workaholism amongst its ranks - pushing exec's to work marathon-100-hour-workweeks, encouraging employees to take red-eyes and land with fast-feet running to the office, rather than catch needed shut-eye and re-energize.

Dr. Czeisler warns that burning candles at both ends actually does not justify the productivity ends. Indeed sleep deprivation creates the antithesis to high performance.

“With too little sleep,” Dr Czeisler says, “people do things that no CEO in his or her right mind would allow.”

For this reason, Dr. Czeisler suggests companies now start to incorporate new sleep policies which oppose employees working beyond a 16-consecutive-hour period, and prohibit working or driving immediately after late-night or overnight flights.

Dr. Czeisler comments how it’s interesting that companies have rules to protect employees against smoking and sexual harassment -- yet companies promote self-destructve workaholism behavior.

I suggest you keep Dr. Czeisler ‘s report in mind the next time you have a choice between working too long versus getting needed rest.

In fact, I suggest you sleep on all this.

BE HAPPY DAMMIT TIP

In today's busy world, dads are researched to merely spend an average of 7 minutes a day of quality time with kids!

Meanwhile, the average person spends 2.5 - 4 hours a day watching tv, equivalent to a part time job!

Yikes!

Today on BE HAPPY DAMMIT (my daily 8am EST radio show on SIRIUS/LIME 114) I talked about the difficulties and funny aspects of parenting with Jonathan Fields (serial lifestyle entrepreneur)and Danny Evans (hot blogger of DAD GONE MAD)and Bill Brazell -- who brings me hot bloggers every week.

Another scary fact: 54 percent of young kids would now rather watch tv than spend time with their father!

BE HAPPY DAMMIT ASSIGNMENT:Step away from that TV -- and spend time with kids the old fashioned way -- play with them, talk with them, read to them!

HAPPY DAMMIT SEMINAR - APRIL 18TH - NYC LEARNING ANNEX

Happiness tip#27: Sing your heart-ache out.

FACT: The Institute of Music, Health and Education has found that just five minutes of singing or humming can put you in a sunnier mood.

Your Happiness Assignment: When in the shower or bath, sing until your heart's content. Avoid songs once shared with an ex or lyrics on the maudlin side.

Some Guaranteed Musical Boosters I recommend: We will rock you – Queen; We are the champions – Queen; Emotional rescue – Rolling Stones; Simply the best – Tina Turner; Like a rolling stone – Bob Dylan; Respect – Aretha Franklin; Brass in pocket – Pretenders; Mustang sally – Wilson Pickett or the Commitments; These boots are made for walking - Nancy Sinatra; My Way - Frank Sinatra; Wind beneath my wings – Bette Midler; I will survive – Gloria Gaynor; Mocking bird – Carly Simon and James Taylor; Don’t worry Be happy – Bobby McFerrin; I can see clearly now - Bob Marley; Calling all angels – K.D. Lang; In my life – The Beatles; Who let the dogs out – Baha men; Banana boat song – Harry Belafonte; Girls just want to have fun – Cyndi Lauper!

If you live in NYC...come join me live -- and I will share all the latest empowering mood boosting research and tips to help you through challenging times -- at my Be Happy, Dammit seminar at THE LEARNING ANNEX on APRIL 18TH (Course 366CNY, Section A) from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. I promise I will help to perk up even the most cynical spirit - by sharing new research and techniques from psychology, biology, eastern and western philosophies, quantum physics, the Zen of Bazooka Joe.

Register by calling the New York Learning Annex office at (212) 371-0280...or click this linkerooni.

Lincoln was right. “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

According to the Happiness Project at Oxford University, half of your personality is inherited!

Meaning..., your disposition toward optimism and happiness is based 50% on your genetic inheritance.

But that's actually good news -- because this means you have control of that other hefty 50%. So happiness is really an inner decision. It's about making up your mind to control your mind -- harness your conscious brain power to think about things differently and seek positive solutions and activities which bring you the most joy.

As Lincoln said: “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

HAPPINESS ASSIGNMENT: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a best selling author on happiness and “flow,” suggests you systematically record your activities and feelings every few hours for two weeks. Rate them on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being most positive). Then afterwards, note your high points versus low points. Afterwards, consciously adjust how you spend your time according to your findings -- and you will soon be happier.