7 steps to help you overcome your work addiction

Workaholics are people who are out of balance with life. These are some ways you can take back your free time.

• Workaholics are at risk for stress-related high blood pressure, heart disease, overweight and type 2 diabetes.
• A workaholic's biggest health threats are stress and self-neglect.
• One British study found that one in five small business owners never exercised.
• If you feel chained to your desk, you're probably not eating well either.
• Working too much means missing out on the joys of life, too.
• Researchers have found that women married to workaholic men are more likely to divorce, and have fewer happy feelings about their relationship.

• Breaking your workaholic cycle takes just one thing: convincing yourself to do it. Half the battle is in your mind.
• As with any habit or addiction, once you truly commit to pull back and regain the balance you once had, changing is a simple.
• Make a step-by-step process, with measurable benchmarks and outcomes.

• Set a quitting time and stick to it.
• Tell all the people you work with that between certain hours, you aren't going to be available.
• Enforce your restrictions by not answering the phone or responding to e-mails during those times.

Put exercise and meal plans in your calendar. Keep these "health appointments" with yourself as if they were meetings with an important client.

• If you cut back on work only to sit in front of the television, you'll go back to working.
• Commit to social activities, family time, cooking or a home project.
• Fill your time in a way that's more fun than work, and you will help end your work addiction.

A few minutes of stretching, deep breathing or yoga helps release tension and keep priorities straight. Tend to your mental health a little better, and you'll quickly see the world in a new way.

• Wireless technology means that you can instantly plug into work at any time, at any place.
• When you aren't working, turn off your cell phone, your laptop and any other electronics that link you to your work.

Nonstop thinking about your job. Never-ending e-mails and phone calls. Repeatedly prioritizing work over family, friends and personal pleasures. All of these are signs that you may be a workaholic. Following these steps could help you break your work addiction and start enjoying yourself.