Around 48% of Americans consider themselves to be workaholics.
So, we can say that work addiction is the most prevalent form of addiction at present. When workaholism might be seen as good-natured, it can actually have a number of negative consequences along with harming the well-being of an individual.
Just like any other form of addiction, work addiction victims or workaholics also need proper treatment. While drug and alcohol addiction, you should consider NYC outpatient drug rehab by Ascendant; the treatment of work addiction is majorly therapy-based.
Here, we will talk about workaholics’ facts and also the ways of dealing with them. Before starting with the main topic, let’s know a little more about workaholics.
What Is Workaholism?
Workaholism is the uncontrollable compulsion required to work incessantly. Individuals who are preoccupied with work and mostly spend their day working or at least thinking about work are addressed as workaholics.
The way any type of addiction or substance abuse affects the physical and mental health of the addicted individual, work addiction also leaves negative effects on the victim’s family life, relationships, health, and overall life satisfaction in a negative way.
Top Workaholism Facts
Different workaholics usually have different types of addiction toward their work. Here we are going to discuss a few common behaviors and traits.
Fact 1: Workaholics Suffer From Sleeping Problems And High-Stress Levels.
Workaholics constantly think about work; this is why they often have a hard time relaxing. Even the individuals manage to relax a bit, sooner or later, they again start to think about all their unfinished tasks, deadlines, or upcoming meetings.
As a result, they end up having too much stress and also experience trouble sleeping.
Fact 2: Workaholics Usually Have More Health Issues.
When it comes to the physical health of the workaholic, work addiction can significantly affect that in a negative way.
Research also suggests that individuals who are suffering from workaholic tendencies mostly possess a bigger chance of suffering from chronic fatigue and cardiovascular diseases.
Fact 3: To Be Able To Work For Long Hours, Workaholics Sacrifice Hobbies, Recreation, And Sleep.
When we are talking about workaholics, we must say that they have an inner compulsion to work all the time. They are so addicted to work that only a few hours of each day seem little to them. That is why workaholics often sacrifice their activities in their personal lives.
They do this just to increase their working hours. It is indeed a classic work-life conflict. The average workaholic ends up getting less than 8 hours of sleep. Plus, they also sacrifice their hobbies and other recreational activities.
Fact 4: Workaholics Are More Likely To Have Psychiatric Symptoms.
Studies have found that workaholism and psychiatric disorders or symptoms, for example, depression, anxiety, ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and also OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder, are linked.
It also has been seen that the rates of mental distress among workaholics are much higher than usual or non-workaholic individuals. In fact, around 30% of workaholic individuals also meet the criteria for anxiety disorder and ADHD.
Fact 5: Workaholics Are Less Likely To Be Productive.
Most workaholics actively work on increasing their working hours per week because, as per them, this way, they will be able to get more work done. However, in reality, longer working hours do not necessarily lead to higher productivity.
Work addiction brings more health issues and high-stress levels, which eventually decrease overall productivity. A number of workaholics confuse being productive and being busy. While they might be thinking that a lot is going on, actually, they might accomplish too little.
Top Tips To Deal With Work Addiction
In case you think that any of your loved ones might be a workaholic, here are some tips that can actually help them to maintain a proper work-life balance.
Tip 1: Take Regular Work Breaks
As workaholics always look to get as much work done as possible, they avoid taking usual breaks. It makes the individual exhausted and also reduces productivity. In order to reduce both physical and mental fatigue, one should take breaks at regular intervals.
This can include both long and short breaks along with those usual lunch breaks. All these will have positive effects on your well-being. Studies state that taking regular lunch breaks not only helps increase energy levels but also prevents feeling exhausted.
Tip 2: Use Up Your Vacation Time Every Year
Over 50% of Americans do not use their vacation days. The total amount of vacation is 768 million unused days every year. Here are the major reasons why individuals refrain from taking any vacation.
- They want to show that they are dedicated to their job.
- They think that it will increase their chances of advancement within the company.
- They are afraid that they will be seen as replaceable.
When you are working at a company with even a remotely healthy work culture, this type of thinking is not necessary. So, you should take the vacation you deserve.
Tip 3: When You Are Off The Clock, Unplug Completely.
Technology is responsible for making unplugging hard after work. Emails and other work-related notifications are always available at the tap of a button. In this situation, going back to work mode during off hours becomes easier.
When you are off the clock, you are required to make an active effort to unplug completely. For that, you can follow the below-mentioned tips.
- Before you get off work, you need to close the loop; it includes replying to all those unanswered emails
- Once you are off the clock, do not even think about checking your inbox.
- Create an unplugging ritual.
Tip 4: Take Up A Hobby
Hobbies are for reducing and decompressing stress. Along with being really beneficial for your mental health, hobbies also can lower your cortisol and blood pressure. It helps you to also repair your mood from depression.
Studies also have shown that hobbies can actually help in improving self-efficacy along with boosting the job performance of an individual by 15% to 30%.
You should think of the following.
- Schedule time for your hobby.
- Look for something you are actually interested in.
- Stick to it.
