Four in 10 British adults confess to being unable to leave their work alone. What is the impact and cause of workaholism?
Workaholism and its impact
Workaholism can have severe consequences for health and well-being. It is also a risk factor for burnout. Mental health issues are on the rise worldwide. This is a serious issue that must be addressed by both the individual and the organisation.
Burnout can have serious consequences for both the individual and the organization. It is important to manage burnout. Burnout is the result of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion. It affects an individual’s ability function normally.
Physical symptoms include fatigue, nausea, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and frequent illness.
Emotional symptoms can include helplessness, cynicism or a feeling of failure, self-doubt and decreased satisfaction.
Behavioural Symptoms include low motivation or performance, withdrawal or isolation, procrastination or outbursts or the use of prescribed or nonprescribed drugs to cope.
Burnout is a common problem for some people, and this tendency is made worse by the pressures that organizations are facing in today’s volatile workplace. The fast-paced work culture is a major factor in the burnout of many people. They feel under pressure to perform more to keep up. This can have a significant impact on a person’s short- and long-term health if it is not managed.
Breaking unhealthy patterns: Strategies for breaking bad habits
Two strategies are essential in order to combat workaholic tendencies. It is important that the person has to be able to cope with their workaholic tendencies.
A. Build resilience
B. Work practices and routines should be adjusted.
Find a coach or mentor. Work with someone who can support you.
A. Build Resilience
Researchers have consistently found that people with high levels are better able to deal with stress, maintain a balanced response to external disruptions, and thrive in challenging situations ( Lipsitt & Demick 2011, Wagnild & Young 1993).
According to research, there is a positive correlation between high levels of resilience and a good work-life balance . (Farber & Rosendahl 2018). People who are resilient will be better able to balance work and family life. They are not so focused on their work that they can’t step back and re-energize ( Folan 2018).
To build resilience, you need to develop the three determinants ( Folan 2019.). The two main aspects that can help to avoid burnout and combat workaholic tendencies include:
Self-concept wellness: self-awareness, emotional management and effective self-management.
Four critical areas for improving self-concept are:
- What matters to me and who am I?
- How to build a healthy and realistic self-evaluation
- What is the structure of your self-concept?
- Building emotional intelligence
Constructive Thinking: Manage your thoughts and deconstruct destructive mental processes (conscious and unconscious).
Two critical elements are required to develop constructive thinking.
- Continue to cleanse our subconscious mental processing
- We become aware of destructive thinking and immediately change it to constructive thinking.
B. Work practices and routines should be adjusted.
Work practices must be aligned with the changes made within an individual. Here are a few practical strategies you can adapt to support your health and well-being at work.
- Set clear limits on your workload and prioritise the work. Learn to be more selective about how much work you accept and what you can realistically manage.
- Unplug technology regularly. You should set a date for when you will turn off your computer and phone at night, and over the weekend. Researchers have found that those who unplug their technology at night feel more fulfilled in their work and are happier to go to work the next morning (Coleman & Coleman, 2012).
- Create a personal vision. It should be a list of things that you find personally and professionally valuable. After defining your priorities, you can block time to devote to important aspects of your life. Stop focusing on work because of a lack or other interests.
- Find a coach or mentor. You can work with a professional to help you develop new strategies, and hold you accountable for taking actions that will reduce your tendency to be a workaholic ( Curtayne, Burton & Grant, 2009).
It is essential that we embrace strategies to help us manage our wellbeing. To achieve this, we need to be disciplined in our approach to improving our resilience and take practical steps to limit work and workload.
