Are you a workaholic?

Being a workaholic is a socially acceptable addiction – no one looks down on a hard worker.  Being a hard worker is applauded and encouraged.  There is nothing wrong with being a hard worker, with loving your work, feeling satisfied when you have put in a long day, and going the extra mile to make sure a project is completed on time. 

Hard worker or workaholic?

The difference between a hard worker and a workaholic is control.  The hard worker is in control of how hard and when they work and there is a balance between work and the rest of their lives. The workaholic, on the other hand, feels anxious when not working, finds it almost impossible to relax, and sometimes resents the time spent with family and friends. The key indicator that the workaholic is out of control is the negative impact on personal relationships.  Spouse and children often suffer because there workaholic is spending so little time at home that the relationships deteriorate. Children of a workaholic parent often complain about the lack of time spent together and workaholism can be an important factor in divorce.

Workaholics in every profession
Workaholics can be found in virtually every profession and work setting; doctors, lawyers, carpenters, teachers, social workers, managers – no occupation is exempt.  Professions that use hourly billing, corporate culture that rewards those who work extra long hours, the self-employed and entrepreneurs are especially at risk.

Workaholics pay the price
Work addiction extracts a physical and mental toll. Stress caused by burning the candle at both ends can be the cause of a myriad of symptoms: high blood pressure, anxiety, skin rashes, an ineffective immune system, insomnia, bouts of anger, impatience, nausea, and back and joint pain.  If the workaholic does not slow down and learn to enjoy time away from work, they are at risk for burnout.

Although burnout is not a medical term the burnout experience is very real. 

Burnout
Burnout that is related to work addiction can be conceptualized as a type of depression that develops as a response to work-related stress - in this case, spending too much time at work.  Burnout develops over years and is characterized by physical exhaustion, sadness or depression, taking longer and longer to complete work responsibilities, shame that you can’t work as hard as you used to, poor concentration, and inability to make decisions.  Most workaholics wait until their symptom are debilitating and are often physically unable to work.  At that point, rest and recovery are required. Burnout often forces us to re-assess who we are in relation to work, why we do that particular kind of work, and what needs to change in order to find a middle ground between work and the rest of our lives. A graduated re-entry to work, with a renewed sense of purpose and willingness to work differently, will ensure that we can be happy and healthy.

Recovering from Workaholism: Steps to Making A Comeback
The road back from workaholism and burnout can sometimes feel painful and slow, but it is imminently do-able.  These suggestions will help to get you started and stay the course.

1. Let go of the guilt and anxiety of not working 24/7. Remind yourself that you are a better employer/colleague/entrepreneur/student, if you take time to relax and rejuvenate.  You will be more efficient, creative, and productive.


2. Assemble a personal advisory board.  Ask three or four people, some from your business life, some from your personal life, to be part of your advisory board.  Consider people that you respect and admire; who have the kind of balanced life that you want to create.  Have an initial meeting and discuss your concerns about working too much and how you would like to change.  Ask them to give you suggestions about how to work less and still be productive. Remind them that you will call upon them on a need-to basis when you are feeling anxious or frustrated.  Invite them to check up with you periodically to see how you are doing.


3. Learn to delegate.  Relieve yourself of some of the work load by delegating chores to a trust employee. Practice trusting others to do the job as well as you would.  If you don’t have an employee, consider hiring someone to do those tasks which can give free up some of your time.


4. Give the important people in your life a chunk of your prime time.  Stop giving your family and friends your left over time at the end of the day or your spare time when not working on the weekends and give them some time when you know you are feeling happy and energetic.  Schedule some fun time on a Saturday morning when you would normally go to work. Set up (and keep) a date night once a month with your partner or with friends.


5. Take time to take care of your physical health.  Being in good physical shape has many well-known benefits but for the workaholic there is an additional one: it requires taking time away from work.  Schedule time to run, go to the gym, use exercise equipment at home; whatever you can do to help you get and stay in shape.  Exercise helps to manage anxiety and stress and produces mood-enhancing endorphins.  Exercising with others, like your children or friends will give you an added bonus of re-building your relationships.


6. As you incorporate changes into your work routine and working less hours, be aware that you may experience withdrawal symptoms.  You might find yourself feeling down, especially if you liked the adrenaline rush associated with a fast-paced, all-consuming work life. You might also feel agitated and impatient.  These feelings are normal and common when lessening the grip of the amount of time and energy you work consumes.

Excerpt from Lucy MacDonald's book Learn to Manage Your Time, available at Amazon.ca, Chapters, Amazon.com