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Stress And Workaholism - How To Recognize It
Workaholism is spreading like a nasty disease. Are you a workaholic? I was until I realised I was killing myself for a company that cut human resources at every possible opportunity. My ex boss is a workaholic and as far as I can see, he does not have a very happy existence. I now work three days a week and very glad that I managed to escape !
Workaholism is spreading like a nasty disease. Are you a workaholic? I was until I realised I was killing myself for a company that cut human resources at every possible opportunity. My ex boss is a workaholic and as far as I can see, he does not have a very happy existence. I now work three days a week and very glad that I managed to escape !
Workaholism is like any addiction which is a human weakness. It is also an illness. The term workaholism should not be confused with hard work which is very strong in the Protestant ethos . Leisure is idleness, toil is good and workaholism is the best ! When do you have to start worrying if you are a workaholic? It is when work becomes an obsession and the main, or only, driving force in your life ! It is rather like a fatal progressive disease and like any other addiction it gets a stronger and stronger hold.
We hear a lot about the ‘work-life balance’. I had another boss who had a different approach and he encouraged staff NOT to stay on working for such long hours. He was also able to demonstrate by his own example that he could and did find time to nurture his human relationships. In other words, he had a life and loved ones outside the workplace.
Unfortunately workaholism is rewarded in our society and even encouraged by employers all the time. The damage it does in the workplace is considerable. The stress on the individual who is addicted spreads like am oil stain to his/her colleagues and puts undue pressure and stress on everybody. Does the company have a workplace stress policy ? If not,productivity suffers, in spite of the long hours because the quality of the work done is so poor.
But workaholics are rewarded with faster promotion and higher income. A recent survey found that 38% of people with incomes over $100,000 describe themselves as workaholics compared to only 23% of people who made under $10,000 annually. They seek out the stressful highly paid jobs because they have a need to keep the adrenaline rush going. Relationships with colleagues are fraught, they shun collaboration and they are very poor at delegating.
Stress and workaholism go hand in hand. The workaholic will suffer from a range of stress related illnesses which can be anything from panic attacks, ulcers, burnout and high blood pressure. Depression will rear its ugly head and can sometimes result in suicide. The workaholic is more and more dependant on his adrenalin rush. The final result is often a fatal illness such as a heart attack or stroke.
Workaholics’ families suffer too. The rate of divorces and separations are much higher among this category. They have a much lower self esteem and are prone to depression. It has often been pointed out that families can enjoy the benefits of a higher standard of living and a more comfortable lifestyle but at what price ?
Time to stand back and recognize the culprit. Could this be you ? Maybe your stress is caused by workaholism. Maybe your boss is a workaholic and demanding more than is reasonable. Time to take the situation in hand and get help before you and your family suffer.