英語流行話題聽力:Unit 26 美國-工作狂之鄉(xiāng)

[00:00.12] Unit 26 America -- Home to Workaholics It is pretty likely that you -- or someone you know -- is a workaholic. [00:10.10] Workaholics live for their work, often spending many extra ours at work, and often taking work home to complete. [00:17.53] Americans -- live in a work hard culture, but when work becomes the sole reason for a person's existence above more important things( such as family and friends), [00:29.49] the issue becomes critical. [00:32.53] Part of the matter is societal. [00:34.37] Americans are working more hours per week than in years past, and with all the downsizings and consolidations and lack of replacement hirings, [00:44.48] more and more workers are putting in extra hours to complete the work previously completed by others. [00:51.43] Some studies show that as many as 40 percent of workers do not even bother to take vacations, [00:58.05] partly because of fears they may not have a job to come back to if they do. [01:03.48] Part of the matter is technological. [01:06.30] We live and work in a connected environment -- e mails, instant messaging, fax machines, and cell phones -- making it hard for workers to truly get time away from their work. [01:18.54] Part of the matter is financial. [01:20.52] Whether it is how more and more of us mistakenly define success in terms of financial measures or the fact that many Americans simply must work multiple jobs to earn a living wage and keep their families out of poverty, [01:35.43] we are working more and more for the financial results. [01:40.18] Regardless of the reasons, workaholism can be a serious condition that can lead to the destruction of families, [01:47.33] as well as to serious stress related health problems. [01:51.18] When work becomes the sole reason for being -- when it becomes the only thing we think about, [01:58.00] the only thing that truly makes us happy -- then it is time to do something. [02:04.14] And do not confuse hard work for workaholism. [02:07.57] Hard workers know the boundaries between work and personal times and can function normally when not at work, [02:15.11] while workaholics have no personal times and can not function well outside of work. [02:22.31] The key to reducing workaholism is making time away from work. [02:26.35] It will take some effort to sift from a sole focus on work, but for your mental and physical health, [02:33.44] you really should make the effort to do the following: Spend time with family and( non work) friends; Call home often to stay connected; Learn how to delegate work -- and learn to say no to new assignments; Take time off and leave work behind; Consider exercises to get your body back to a healthy shape; Consider volunteering -- to help others and to meet new people; Convince yourself it is okay sometimes to just sit and relax and do nothing; Find a hobby or two; Fight the urge that everything you do must be perfect -- to your standards.

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