For decades, authors and politicians, teachers, and entrepreneurs have tried to push the notion of an American Dream on people. For instance, they believe that you can do anything. Additionally, they believe that if you put in the effort and devote the right amount of time to your professional development and pursuits, then the dream comes and you live happily ever after. However, they forget to tell you that you will not have a personal life. In other words, something has to give.
If you think you might be a chronic workaholic, it’s not a problem. For example, you could just be a hard worker.
But let’s examine what that could mean and what we can do about it to become healthy and for you to truly enjoy your work.
What is a Workaholic?
A driven or uncontrollable person needs to work regardless of whether they would like to work and they cannot easily distinguish when they do not want to work. In other words, it’s not the same thing as genuinely loving your job. And it’s certainly not the same as being overwhelmed–it’s an actual addiction.
To put it in more scientific terms, American Psychological Association defines workaholism as
“The obsession to be productive and do it to an extreme extent. Therefore, a person who is a workaholic is unable to stay away from work.
Being a Workaholic is more about your behavior and motives.
Signs That You’re a Workaholic
If you’re beginning to sound as if I’m reading the emails, however, you’re uncertain if you’re in line with the criteria. Here are additional indicators that could help you determine the cause.
- Long working Hours, above and beyond the normal time to even take time to sleep.
- There are 168 hours per week, while a full-time position will take about 40 hours at most. It is just about 22 percent of your workweek! If your productivity is higher than that, and you’re refusing to do other activities, there could be an issue.
- You carry work to home too frequently. For example, it is every day and extends into extracurricular fun times.
- This statement becomes a part of your daily speech, “I’ll just finish a limited stuff at home” could rapidly turn into occupied for three hours at your home workplace next dinner. There may be many instances in your career where you’re required to hustle to finish your work. You strive to avoid negative emotions.
The feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety conflict that isn’t resolved, and other stress-inducing feelings could be averted by staying up late at your office. On the other hand, if it’s your turn to “leave your problems at home,” it’s tempting to stay away from going back to confront the same issues again.
Methods to Beat Workaholism
You may not have considered the possibility of being a workaholic, and yet the indicators do not lie. If you’re only now realizing that you’re suffering from workaholism and your mental health is not enough good, here are some concrete actions you can take:
- Find out the real issue.
- What’s the main issue that you’re experiencing? The root of the matter isn’t workaholism. It’s anxiety and fear of rejection, needing approval or approval, etc. If you don’t identify the source of the problem, you will not effectively tackle the problem of addiction.
- Be attentive to your Personal Life.
- One method to combat the habit of working is to find meaning in other pursuits. If you find worth in your hobbies, relationships, religious beliefs, personal health – to mention several
- Categories – the significance of work will fade away.
- Make a Disciplined Calendar
- If you ask people who have been able to overcome their workaholism, you’ll discover that most of them are excellent at establishing a disciplined routine.
- Take advantage of the time off.
- It is a great idea to take advantage of your vacation and personal days to save them in case of a rainy day! The people who go on vacation have been proven to be happier and have more excellent perspectives. So don’t waste this opportunity!
In Conclusion
Realize that there’s no one else to blame for your addiction to work. Similarly, you probably have coworkers, friends, and family members affected by workaholic behaviors as well. The more transparent you are about your struggle, the more you can count on the help, encouragement, and honesty you receive. To begin today to not become or to overcome being a workaholic, consider these tips:
First, admit that there is a problem.
Second, ask someone to help you learn how to balance your time between work and personal.
Third, practice not taking work home.
Fourth, Understand that you did not get this way overnight, so your habits will not change overnight.
In addition, do not procrastinate or delay your dream to not become a workaholic. Click here for something to “Encourage You” to know that you can live out your dream to overcome being a workaholic!