Work moderation is a broad framework plan that gives time and thought to your work in proportion to other activities in your life. 
It provides maximum flexibility and balance in work, play, relationship, and self.

Work moderation

Time Management

Imagine your life as four spokes in a wheel:
<ol>
<li>Self: attending to the personal needs of rest and physical exercise, nutrition, relaxation, and spiritual practices.</li>
<li>Relationships: spending time and nurturing relationships with significant loved ones and friends.</li>
<li>Play: spending time in fun activities and social pastimes such as hobbies, recreation, and leisure.</li>
<li>Work: being effective and productive, enjoying what you do for a living, working in harmony with coworkers, and working moderately while attending to other areas of your life.</li>
</ol>

Steps to Developing a Work Moderation Plan

<div>The key is to set boundaries that help you avoid burnout, and feel fulfilled in the work you're doing.</div><div>By </div><UL><LI><a to="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/" href="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/" dir="ltr">Bryan Robinson, Ph.D.</a>,&nbsp;Psychotherapist in Private Practice and Author of 40 books.</LI></UL><figure><img alt="Pra Chid/ Shutterstock" src="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/shutterstock_1286607388.jpg" srcset="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/shutterstock_1286607388.jpg?w=480 480w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/shutterstock_1286607388.jpg?w=600 600w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/shutterstock_1286607388.jpg?w=900 900w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/shutterstock_1286607388.jpg?w=1180 1180w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/shutterstock_1286607388.jpg?w=1550 1550w" width="785" height="524"><figcaption dir="auto">Pra Chid/ Shutterstock</figcaption></figure>Work moderation is a broad framework that provides maximum flexibility and balance in the four areas of life: work, play, relationships, and self. Giving time and thought to your work in proportion to other activities in your life becomes the primary goal. There’s a general consensus that the best predictor of a positive approach to work is a full life outside work. A full personal life that acts as a psychological buffer can dissipate your work’s negative effects and augment the positive ones.&nbsp;Steps to Developing a Work Moderation Plan&nbsp;As a beginning to a work moderation — or self-care — plan, imagine your life as four spokes in a wheel: self, relationships, play, and work.&nbsp;1.Self: attending to the personal needs of rest and physical exercise, relaxation, self-esteem, spiritual practices, nutrition, and stress-reduction exercises such as deep breathing or meditation.2. Relationships: spending time and nurturing relationships with significant loved ones and friends whom you consider your family. Your family can be a spouse; it can include both a spouse and children; it can include unmarried same-sex or opposite-sex partners with or without children; or it can comprise other adults such as your parents or siblings. Your family, whether related or unrelated to you, and your friends comprise your major support system.&nbsp;3. Play: spending time in fun activities and social pastimes such as hobbies, recreation, and leisure.&nbsp;4. Work: being effective and productive on the job, enjoying what you do for a living, working harmoniously with coworkers, and working moderately while giving equal time to other areas of your life.&nbsp;<figure><img src="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CHAINED-JPEG-5.jpg?w=683" srcset="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CHAINED-JPEG-5.jpg 900w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CHAINED-JPEG-5.jpg?resize=200%2C300 200w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CHAINED-JPEG-5.jpg?resize=768%2C1152 768w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CHAINED-JPEG-5.jpg?resize=683%2C1024 683w" width="657" height="986"><figcaption dir="ltr">Excerpt from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chained-Desk-Guidebook-Workaholics-Clinicians/dp/081477556X" dir="ltr">Chained to the Desk: A Guidebook for Workaholics, Their Partners and Children, and the Clinicians Who Treat Them&nbsp;</a>with permission from the author and publisher.</figcaption></figure>Follow us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/thriveglbl/" dir="ltr">here</a>&nbsp;and subscribe&nbsp;<a href="https://thriveglobal.com/newsletter/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive" dir="ltr">here</a>&nbsp;for all the latest news on how you can keep Thriving.Stay up to date or catch-up on all our podcasts with Arianna Huffington&nbsp;<a href="https://thriveglobal.com/categories/thrive-podcasts/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive" dir="ltr">here</a>.<div><time>— Published on September 28, 2020</time></div><img src="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Bryan-Robinson_6691.C5-copy.jpg?quality=60&amp;resize=60,60" alt="" width="60" height="60"><h3 dir="ltr"><a to="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/" href="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/" dir="ltr">Bryan Robinson, Ph.D.</a>, Psychotherapist in Private Practice and Author of 40 books.</h3>Bryan Robinson, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, psychotherapist in private practice, and award-winning author of two novels and 40 nonfiction books that have been translated into 15 languages. His latest book is&nbsp;THE LIZARD BRAIN SURVIVAL GUIDE: HOW TO KEEP YOUR COOL WHEN THINGS DON’T GO YOUR WAY.&nbsp;Previous books include&nbsp;#CHILL: TURN OFF YOUR JOB AND TURN ON YOUR LIFE&nbsp;(William Morrow),&nbsp;DAILY WRITING RESILIENCE: 365 MEDITATIONS &amp; INSPIRATIONS FOR WRITERS&nbsp;(Llewellyn Worldwide),&nbsp;and&nbsp;CHAINED TO THE DESK: A GUIDEBOOK FOR WORKAHOLICS, THEIR PARTNERS AND CHILDREN, AND THE CLINICIANS WHO TREAT THEM&nbsp;(New York University Press).&nbsp;He is a regular contributor to&nbsp;Forbes.com, Psychology Today, and Thrive Global. He has appeared on 20/20, Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, ABC's World News Tonight, NPR’s Marketplace, NBC Nightly News and he hosted the PBS documentary "Overdoing It: How To Slow Down And Take Care Of Yourself."&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com/" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1582308961651000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFu-nujA0t3MUee_QzpJa0gLxG8DQ" dir="ltr">www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com</a>.<div dir="ltr">Share your comments below. Please read our <a href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/commenting-guidelines/" dir="ltr">commenting guidelines</a> before posting. If you have a concern about a comment, report it <a href="mailto:communityhelp@thriveglobal.com" dir="ltr">here</a>.
</div>

The key is to set boundaries that help you avoid burnout, and feel fulfilled in the work you&#039;re doing.

<ul><li><a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/" to="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/">Bryan Robinson, Ph.D. </a>, Psychotherapist in Private Practice and Author of 40 books. </li> </ul>

Work moderation is a broad framework that provides maximum flexibility and balance in the four areas of life: work, play, relationships, and self. Giving time and thought to your work in proportion to other activities in your life becomes the primary goal. There’s a general consensus that the best predictor of a positive approach to work is a full life outside work. A full personal life that acts as a psychological buffer can dissipate your work’s negative effects and augment the positive ones.

Steps to Developing a Work Moderation Plan

As a beginning to a work moderation — or self-care — plan, imagine your life as four spokes in a wheel: self, relationships, play, and work.

1.Self : attending to the personal needs of rest and physical exercise, relaxation, self-esteem, spiritual practices, nutrition, and stress-reduction exercises such as deep breathing or meditation.

2. Relationships : spending time and nurturing relationships with significant loved ones and friends whom you consider your family. Your family can be a spouse; it can include both a spouse and children; it can include unmarried same-sex or opposite-sex partners with or without children; or it can comprise other adults such as your parents or siblings. Your family, whether related or unrelated to you, and your friends comprise your major support system.

3. Play : spending time in fun activities and social pastimes such as hobbies, recreation, and leisure.

4. Work : being effective and productive on the job, enjoying what you do for a living, working harmoniously with coworkers, and working moderately while giving equal time to other areas of your life.

Follow us <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/thriveglbl/">here </a> and subscribe <a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/newsletter/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive">here </a> for all the latest news on how you can keep Thriving.

Stay up to date or catch-up on all our podcasts with Arianna Huffington <a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/categories/thrive-podcasts/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive">here </a>.

Bryan Robinson, Ph.D.  , Psychotherapist in Private Practice and Author of 40 books.

Bryan Robinson, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, psychotherapist in private practice, and award-winning author of two novels and 40 nonfiction books that have been translated into 15 languages. His latest book is THE LIZARD BRAIN SURVIVAL GUIDE: HOW TO KEEP YOUR COOL WHEN THINGS DON’T GO YOUR WAY.  Previous books include #CHILL: TURN OFF YOUR JOB AND TURN ON YOUR LIFE  (William Morrow),  DAILY WRITING RESILIENCE: 365 MEDITATIONS &amp; INSPIRATIONS FOR WRITERS  (Llewellyn Worldwide) ,  and  CHAINED TO THE DESK: A GUIDEBOOK FOR WORKAHOLICS, THEIR PARTNERS AND CHILDREN, AND THE CLINICIANS WHO TREAT THEM  (New York University Press) .  He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com, Psychology Today, and Thrive Global. He has appeared on 20/20, Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, ABC's World News Tonight, NPR’s Marketplace, NBC Nightly News and he hosted the PBS documentary "Overdoing It: How To Slow Down And Take Care Of Yourself." <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1582308961651000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFu-nujA0t3MUee_QzpJa0gLxG8DQ" dir="ltr" href="http://www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com/" rel="noopener">www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com </a>.

Bite‑sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

4 Steps to Developing a Work Moderation Plan That Works For You

Work moderation

Steps to Developing a Work Moderation Plan

How to Befriend Your Inner Critic

Your helpfulness at work is hurting your job performance

How to set clear work boundaries — and stick to them

Bite‑sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

4 Steps to Developing a Work Moderation Plan That Works For You

Work moderation

Steps to Developing a Work Moderation Plan

How to Befriend Your Inner Critic

Your helpfulness at work is hurting your job performance

How to set clear work boundaries — and stick to them

Bite‑sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career