Workaholism and Its Impact on Your Personal Life

 

Although not too many people have even consider this to be a problem, Japanese’s have even invented the new word for it. They call it “karoshi”, literally translated as "death by overwork". What exactly is a workaholism? It could be difficult to answer that question but, most experts agree that it is an addiction. It's the illusion which causes associated destructive behaviors. It is important to point out that some statistical data are saying that workaholism causes 1,000 deaths per year, nearly 5% of that country's stroke and heart attack deaths in employees under age 60. If we talk about U.S. and workaholism there- we should know that workaholism remains so-called "respectable addiction". Americans are aware of this condition! Although most people believe that workaholism couldn’t be called a disease, experts from this field disagree! They say that workaholism is an addiction, an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it's not the same as working hard or putting in long hours. The word itself derived from the word alcoholic! Although "workaholic" is not an official medical or psychological term, it remains in widespread usage.  

We can assume that a workaholic is a person who is addicted to work. Although some believe differently- the fact is that medicine didn’t recognize this as a disease because there is no generally accepted medical definition of such a condition, although some forms of stress and obsessive-compulsive disorder can be work-related. Beside this- it is also important to point out that, although the term workaholic usually has a negative connotation, it is sometimes used by some who want to express their devotion to one's career in positive terms.  Why it is considered something negative? The answer is simple, it is considered negative because it is popularly characterized by a neglect of family and other social relations.  

Like we have already mentioned, experts agree that we are talking about the addiction. It is logical to assume that different discomforts in life cause the person to seek relief from those discomforts. If we talk about the workaholic- then we should know that their primary form of relief that they like to feel good by accomplishing something as part of their job at work. However, all this would be great if it could last because, as the workaholic attends increasingly to getting things done at work, their personal life begins to suffer from lack of attention. When this become a “magic circle”? Well, it is easy to assume that, as their personal life suffers, it causes more discomfort for the workaholic. When this happens- problem is that the workaholic works even harder at getting more things done at work, causing their personal lives to suffer even more…cycle goes on and on!

How to recognize the difference between the hard work and workaholism!? After all, if we look back at all the great minds of our time, we will see that everything invented and discovered was a product of hard working. How then to recognize when the line has been crossed. It isn't easy, but there is one rule- hard workers generally have some balance in their lives! If we talk about workaholics, then we should know that their obsession with work is all-occupying. This obsession prevents them from maintaining healthy relationships, outside interests, or even takes measures to protect their health. What's also characteristic- they neglect their health to the point of devastating results and ignore their friends and family.  

What are the most common symptoms of workaholism? Well, although they can vary from workaholic to workaholic, there are some things that can be called typical! If you recognize yourself in most of the next examples, there is a big chance that you are workaholic! Here are some common questions:

·         Do you consider your home to be just another office?

·         Are you hard-driving, competitive, and overly committed to your work?

·         Do you usually take office equipment with you wherever you go, even on vacations?

·         Does your everyday work make you happier than anything else in your life?

·         Can you sleep normally or you consider sleep and playtime a waste of time? 

·         Do you find that vacations are just a waste of time, and, even when you take them- you get restless and sometimes cut them short?

·         You don’t have a lot of friends and they do not call you frequently because they figured out that they are not so wanted in your company? 

·         Do the people close to you call you manic or workhorse?

·         Do you suffer from constant tiredness, social isolation, and might even have physical stress symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, shortness of breath, racing heart, muscle tension, or ulcers?

 

If the answer on the most of these questions is YES, then you probably are workaholic and should seek professional help!

 

What is the exact cause of this problem? It could be extremely difficult to answer this question but experts suggested several theories! According to the great majority of experts, this sense of guilt usually arises from our parents' pre-adolescent hard treatment. This isn't something abnormal but it can leave some consequences! It is normal for parents that they taught us to achieve and perform constantly; to continuously strive to become some kind of miracle among other kids! It isn't hard to assume what happens then later in life! Stress is something we don’t know a lot about! But the fact is that stress has become a major health problem that men face today more than ever. It has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, and other serious illnesses -- even impotence. According to the American Institute of Stress, up to 90% of all visits to doctors are for stress-related disorders.

What should every workaholic keep in mind is that one of the most difficult problems in recovering from workaholism is that the workaholic's hard work is often viewed as good! This is especially done by their superiors, chefs, bosses, so they are rewarded for their hard work. This could be a big problem! Good thing is that many people in organizations are learning to recognize the signs of workaholism and to realize that, ultimately, the addiction hurts the person's performance. The benefits from that person are often a temporary thing!
Admit the problem! Maybe you've never told this to anyone, maybe you haven't even admitted it to yourself. However the fact is that you are scared to death! How come? Well, you are scared that if you take a day off someone else will take your job, or scared that if you take a vacation they will discover that you are not as important as you think you are. It is time to stop all this!

The first thing that every workaholic needs to do is to add some balance to life. This can be only done if there is a synthesis between the work and work non-related activities! Experts are saying that something as 30 minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise immediately reduces body tension. Some studies done in the past have also shown that weightlifting also neutralize anxiety and depression, and boosts self-esteem as well as aerobics. Workaholic must choose a relaxing activity that he or she personally consider relaxing.   

·         Try to get familiar with yourself!  How come? Well, it shouldn’t be so difficult! For example, if meeting deadlines is a problem, always give yourself at least 20% more time than you think you really need. It will solve great majority of your problems!

·         Don't live beyond your means. It could be important because sometimes workaholics believe that they can achieve almost anything, even the impossible! That’s why, you should never live a lifestyle you cannot afford; it will lead to definite health problems…and sometimes financial!

·         Be careful about bringing your work home. Avoid taking your office documents and even a laptop at home! You should consider your home as a sanctuary and your loved ones are blessings. Do not contaminate your home and your family with your office garbage!  

·         Make time for your friendships. Try to call your old friends from high school and avoid socializing with your office buddies!

·         Take care of your body. Visit local gym from time to time- maybe you will like it! Just in order to be sure, you should get a physical exam to rule out other problems. Three basics things you should keep in your mind is eating, sleeping, exercising.  

·         Re-examine your long-term goals. Is it really worth that much working!