Is there hope for workaholics?
Nancy walked out of her office building on yet another Wednesday evening at 8:30pm feeling guilty because her boss was still buried deep in paperwork at her desk with no signs of preparing to go home for the day. Why was she feeling guilty?
It could have something to do with her boss muttering “leaving already?” at the sight of Nancy gathering her things to leave. Nancy had been at work since 8:30am. And so had her boss. The job description did not include 12-hour work days.
This was getting to be an almost daily occurrence. Nancy worked to live — to support her family. To be able to fund the life she envisioned. As it turns out, Nancy, like her boss, was living to work. There was something wrong with that picture.
The sad part of it is that, for Nancy’s boss, this was for the long term. It was not related to a short-term burst as one would knock themselves out for a promotion or deal with the initial crisis of a pandemic. The concern here was the amount of head space, thought, energy and time she dedicates to work. She has no life.
Nancy’s boss is a workaholic — a person works compulsively. The term originates from alcoholism. She works at the cost of her sleep and social functions such as meeting friends or family. It doesn’t necessarily mean she doesn’t enjoy her work, but it can imply that she feels compelled to do it.
The causes of workaholism are thought to be anxiety, low self-esteem, and intimacy issues. In fact, workaholics tend to have an inability to delegate work tasks to others and they obtain high scores on personality traits such as neuroticism, perfectionism, and conscientiousness.
Many people, especially business leaders whose hearts and souls are invested in their businesses, work long hours. However, workaholism differs from working long hours. It is an addiction, a mental health issue like alcoholism and drug addiction. It’s a compulsion. They MUST work, not because the excess is good or enjoyable. It’s not about the quantity of the work, it’s about their inability to disengage from it.
Research reveals that those who are workaholics have more health complaints and increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
One underlying potential source of the issue might be because they don’t feel good enough so they chase approval by achieving the next goal, doing the next task or being recognized for their passion and commitment. Another might be perfectionism. Trying to live up to a self-imposed standard to prove they are competent or live up to an unrealistic expectation from their boss or society. Another could be to avoid aspects of their life.
Entrepreneurs have an idea and strive to bring that to life. They create. A recovering workaholic should do this with their own life. Imagine what a balanced, successful life looks like for them. What do they want people to say about them 50 years from now? What values, relationships and impact do they want to be known for? Once they have the vision, they can start working towards it.
Professional help might be needed if Nancy’s boss is a workaholic, especially if an underlying cause of the problem that isn’t healthy has been identified. She should also ask for support from friends, family and colleagues to disengage from work and be fully present with them and in other activities.
Success at work is impossible if you are tired and risk sickness and ill health. Boundaries can be put in place in terms of amount of time working and mental rejuvenation. Commit and schedule other activities that you can get lost in. What are your dormant passions? Learn mindfulness to be less obsessive about work thoughts and worries. Put reminders in your diary throughout the day to breath down to your belly, to walk around, to leave at a certain time.
If you know a workaholic, there is hope. You can start by showing them this article.
No comments:
Post a Comment