Are you a workaholic?
People often ask how I manage to run Home-Dzine Online, design and create projects, and still undertake workshops for DIY Divas. Could it be because I'm a workaholic? Are you a workaholic?
For most workaholics there is no such thing as a day off, or a good nights sleep. There is always something that needs to be done, something that just can't wait. Even going out requires that you are somehow tapped in to your office or business - a pager in your pocket, an ipad in your car, a keyboard accessory for your iPad, a laptop at your side.
In our modern society everything is about success, whether personal or financial. People addicted to work are seen as smart, savy entrepreneurs. We are built to reward workaholism. It's normally the workaholics that are offered the promotion, who receive bonuses and get positive evaluations.
But working hard and having easy access to work does not automatically make you a workaholic. I'm a hard worker and I'm proud of it. I am happily married with two fantastic kids, three dogs and a cat. I don't let work get in the way of being a wife, a mother, and a home maker. Yes, it does run my life in other ways, but it's who I am, who I like and I wouldn't want it any other way.
However, if you work to the exclusion of your family, your marriage, other relationships, and your life is out of balance, or your physical health is out of balance -- when work takes an exclusive priority to everything else, that's the more extreme end of the spectrum where it becomes a problem.
Key signs of workaholism:
- Trouble delegating work, as workaholics tend to be control freaks.
- Neglecting other aspects of one's non-working life by letting work become a top priority.
- Starts work early and last to leave. You may even bring work home and work late into the night.
- Don't have time to take a holiday.
- Irregular meal times, or skipping meals altogether.
Workaholics never say no, they are poor delegators - even to the point of having more work than they can handle, and they definitely aren't team players - they are under the impression that they can handle things on their own.
Like other forms of addiction, workaholism can have significant health consequences, experts say, including significantly higher work-related stress and job burn-out rates, anger, depression and anxiety. Despite the symptoms, workaholics may be in deep denial about their addiction, like a teenager with anorexia who looks in the mirror and sees herself as obese.
How to deal with workaholism
- Make time to spend with your family and friends, even if you have to schedule it in as a special meeting.
- Learn to delegate. More often than not the job will be handled just as well.
- Switch off - yourself and your gadgets for an allocated period each day to allow yourself to interact with family and friends.
- Set yourself realistic goals even if it means finding the right people so that they can help you to
complete tasks.
- Workaholics who accept it have already made the first step. If you can't accept that you are one, talk to a support group or someone who handles this type of condition.
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