How do you identify an workaholic? Aren't we all told to set high goals and work towards them? So why should anyone who is working all the time be termed a workaholic? The truth is that we work in order to live a good life and if we only work all the time, we don't have a life outside work at all. Workaholics, unlike normal hardworking persons, have no time to eat or sleep and seek attention to the fact that they work all the time.
Identifying the Workaholic
The workaholic may be identified by some behavior that he exhibits.
Physical Signs
- The workaholic does not find time to eat, and postpones meal times. His health suffers and he finds it difficult to focus and be productive at work.
- Poor sleeping habits are another indicator of a workaholic. He works till late at night, is up at dawn and goes to work early. He suffers from irritability, poor memory, concentration and is unable to find solutions to simple problems at his office. Lack of sleep leads to obesity too
- He does not relax, take a nap, listen to music or spend time on a hobby. He builds up a lot of stress in his life but does not know how to unwind.
- He can be seen in his office on holidays or when he is sick, because it is unthinkable to him that he should be away from his office and he neglects his health and his home.
Behavioral Signs
- A workaholic is essentially an addict who wants to work even when he is out on a family picnic or at a party with friends. In contrast a hardworking person wants to finish his work on time so that he may relax at a party with friends or go on a vacation and spend time with his family.
- A workaholic neglects the people close to him, like his family members or the friends he used to hang out with. He does not give importance to the milestones in the lives of his children or spouse.
- He does not understand the benefits of team work. He believes that he and he alone should do the work. He does not trust his subordinates and does not delegate work for fear that it would not be done properly. He wants to do everything by himself.
- He fails to socialize and becomes a loner. As he has no time to fraternize, he loses touch with his friends. This adds to the stress as he increasingly finds that there is no one to sympathize with him in times of trouble.His family too does not feel connected to him and he suffers from loneliness.
Effect on Health
The repercussions of immersing yourself in work every working minute include, high levels of stress, anger, depression, anxiety, psychosomatic diseases such as headaches, acidity and other stomach related problems.
Remedial Measures
- Setting Personal Goals: Just as you set professional goals in order to achieve targets at the workplace, you also set personal goals; for success in life depends not only on your career but also on having an enjoyable personal life. Having fun with the family is not just going to make life happier for them but is also going to make you a more relaxed person. You strengthen your ties with family and friends and gain the support of people close to you. Just as you wish to make a good impression as a worker, you should also appear to your relatives as a valuable member of the family.
- Delegate When Required: Delegation is a skill which would enable you to identify the people to whom you may assign some jobs so that you may do your part of the team work peacefully and efficiently. If you try to do all the work by yourself you will not only become extremely overworked but would not be able to complete the assignment.
- Share Your Troubles: Your family does not wish to just have fun with you. They would also be happy to share your troubles. You may speak about the work load and the stress it puts on you. Family members and friends would empathize with you and help you in regaining the right life work balance.
As life gets more fast paced than before, and the environment get more competitive, we should be careful not to get into a monotonous routine of overwork, thereby hiding away from issues other than work related ones, such as our health, fitness, family and friends. We should make an effort to find time for all aspects of our life that would make it a worthwhile one.
