Workaholics are found in all professions. They may be freelancers working with laptops on the beach, athletes doing double the training rate, or managers checking reports on Sunday evenings. Perseverance and the pursuit of success are commendable, but sometimes, work turns into something that consumes life itself.
A desire for a bonus, perfectionism, or ambition are often the first causes of workaholism. Over time, having a solid work ethic can become an addiction with far-reaching effects that transcend all limits. “Workaholism” is a term that is frequently misused. As a result, people consider it to be extravagant. A lot of consideration should be given to this potentially fatal and somewhat prevalent mental illness.
What is workaholism, and what is it not
Currently, workaholism is considered an addiction with its risk factors for specific people and specialties. The consequences are almost always profoundly negative. Therefore, public figures specializing in labor protection are sounding the alarm louder and louder. The fact is that the modern world implies the constant availability of the worker.
A person can be anywhere, but a messenger message or a sudden call can reach him on vacation, at a family dinner, or even in the hospital.
Some people put in more hours due to their involvement in the process since they have discovered their calling and purpose in life. Others must put forth more effort to pay back the debt on schedule. Some are willing to exert additional work to advance the job ladder temporarily. Since workaholism is on a somewhat different level, all of the above points are fine.
Sociologists agree that activity turns into workaholism when it is reflected in four aspects: motives, thoughts, emotions, and behavior. A workaholic has an inner urge to work, not conditioned by direct necessity. All his thoughts revolve around work, whether discussing the past day or plans for the future.
Such a person experiences an emotional crisis during his vacation and does not know what to do with himself on weekends, so he is ready to work beyond any reasonable measure.
Who is more prone to workaholism
A large-scale survey conducted in Western European countries indicates that many people face the problem, regardless of their income level and profession. Lawyers, HR specialists, educators, and private entrepreneurs can become workaholics.
Some respondents explained their attitude to work by saying they grew up in poverty and were most afraid to return to this position. Others have lived in prosperity and feel obligated to move forward to reach new heights. Such different starting points and routes led to the same result.
Workaholism does not stand out against the background of individual demographic groups, although women show a slightly greater tendency. However, some factors increase the risks. Strangely enough, self-employed and remote employees are most susceptible to workaholism.
This is due to the workplace’s constant availability and the head’s lack of control. Applications like Zoom or Telegram simplify the interaction process and blur boundaries.
Any place can turn into a study at any time. Conditions so conducive to workaholism did not exist before. Hence, the phenomenon has accelerated. This feature was first noticed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but then the deviations were attributed to general depression from uncertainty. It is evident that the problem has remained and is only spreading. In addition, researchers from the National University of Athens note that perfectionists and extroverts are more prone to workaholism.
Consequences
Workaholism is dangerous because it brings some short-term benefits. Therefore, it seems to be the right direction. Additional sales or overtime hours allow you to get more money. However, long-term negative consequences devastate a person, for which no salary can compensate.
Usually, a workaholic primarily copes with responsibilities at the lower limit of a satisfactory level without standing out from the general mass of other employees, which means he has minimal prospects for career growth.
He’s just a willing “Workaholism” who will eventually face burnout. Workaholism does not significantly increase productivity. Simply put, the efforts made are incomparable to the result. The employee almost wastes his time and effort, often only creating the appearance of employment.
Nevertheless, this leads to absolute exhaustion. Constant fatigue causes mistakes that harm colleagues, clients, and the organization. On the other hand, there is a correlation between workaholism and the degree of dissatisfaction with life. It’s hard to be happy when your efforts don’t bring results.
Workaholism affects personal relationships and the ability to self-development. All free time is exchanged for work performed with“sleeves down.” In such conditions, even their health is not given the necessary attention. Accelerated and uncontrolled body wear leads to a hospital bed or another, even quieter place.
