Rishabh is sales manager at a multinational company. He spends most of his time, thinking about his work. He always has one more email to send or one more call to make that cannot wait until the next day. He works with cell phones, laptops and Wi-Fi even when he is out of the office. He is more concerned about what his seniors might say than his own family. Rishabh works harder and longer in a desperate bid to succeed and move up the corporate ladder.
There are many individuals in urban India who follow the same predicament. If you feel that you are regularly working till late to complete work and have no time for hobbies, then it is highly possible that you are a workaholic.
It has been seen that most individuals are becoming workaholic as they work hard to prove themselves and then work harder to move ahead of the benchmark that is laid by them. A workaholic spends most of his time thinking about his work and hence is never really ‘present’ when he returns home or when he is with his friends at a party. In contrast, a hardworking person generally finishes his work on time so that he can spend time with his family, party with friend or go out on a vacation.
How do you recognize a workaholic?
- Workaholics do not find time to eat and keeps postponing his meal timing. They generally have their meals between meetings, or attending calls. They forget that a meal is very important to keep a person mentally sharp throughout the day.
- Though some stress can be good because it keeps you alert and motivated but it has been seen that workaholics are highly stressed and do not know how to unwind. They do not relax, listen to music or spend time cultivating their hobby.
- Poor sleeping habit is another indicator of a workaholic. It is important to remember that even busy professionals need seven to nine hours of sleep. Not having enough sleep can lead to difficulty in concentrating, irritability, and unable to find solutions to simple problems in the office.
- A workaholic does not understand the benefits of team work and prefers to do all the work by himself. They do not trust their team and hence do not delegate work for fear that the work would not be done properly.
- They are generally busy with their work, hence fail to socialize and become a loner. They do not feel connected with their family and hence suffer from loneliness. This adds to the stress as they find no one to sympathize with them in times of trouble.
How does being a workaholic affect your health?
Like other forms of addiction, workaholism can significantly affect your health. Studies suggest that workaholism leads to higher work related stress, anxiety, anger, depression and psychosomatic diseases. Workaholics may also have stomach related ailments such as acidity, as they tend to eat fast to get back to work and often eat at wrong timings.
How can you reverse workaholism?
It is important to remember that workaholism is correctable but it cannot be reversed without a plan.
It is important to set personal goals for success in life and for an enjoyable personal life. Spending time with your family and kids will not only increase your bonding but will also make you a more relaxed person. A relaxed person can concentrate better in his work.
- Delegate work
It is important learn to delegate work as, if you try to do all the work by yourself, you will be stressed and not able to complete the assignment. Remember you are not an expert who can handle everything independently, so leave it up to those who can do it best.
Keep off the E- leash
Sending one email or one text message in most situations can wait. Keep off your electronic gadgets at a certain time. Fulfill certain commitments like reading a book for your child, having dinner with the family etc before turning it back on. Being away from all the gadgets for sometime will relax your mind and enhance your productivity.
If you feel you are overburdened with work, you can speak to your seniors. At times, family members or friends would empathize with you and to a certain extent help you in regaining the right work and life balance.
With a desire to want a balance lifestyle and proper planning you can easily reverse workaholism. It is rightly said,” Work is a part of life, but it is not everything.”
Though a workaholic may seem to be very hardworking, it is important for the employer to note, that an employee who walks in early, leaves out late and never takes vacations may not be the ideal candidate as he accepts more work than he can handle effectively, and is not a team player so the quality of his work will never be superior.
It is important to make an effort to find time for all aspects of our life that would make it worthwhile. You would not know what you are missing in life until you find it.
