In a capitalist society, working hard is one of the critical ways of becoming successful in life. While this might be true, working harder than you should lead to problems at home, your performance at work, and your mental state. Contrary to what most people believe, being a hyper-aggressive workaholic can cause more problems towards a team rather than bring them together.
Workaholics are always swamped with work. In the 8 hours that we work every day, we make sure that all of our workloads will be done before the end of the day. That means that we still have 16 hours of our day to do whatever we want: cook, spend time with the kids, and maybe hang out with our friends.
However, when it comes to workaholics, they usually work 60 to 65 hours a week which is a 50% increase in work hours. If you have known yourself to be sitting on a dimly lit corner of an office while the clock is ticking until midnight, you need to start slowing down. Make no mistake: the consequences of swamping yourself with work can take a toll on your family and your body.
It's an Addiction.
It might seem like the term ‘workaholic’ is some generic term that people usually use on someone who is considered hard-working. But it is more than that; it is a serious habit that most people can’t switch off and could have serious effects on your health and relationships.
One of the best ways to quit a habit or an addiction – no matter how severe it might seem – is to accept the fact that you have it. Once you accept that is it is a bad habit that is seriously affecting your life and relationships, then you can start building a network of support to help you quit this habit.
It Doesn’t Look Good On Your CV.
You might be thinking to yourself, “Working hard doesn’t look good on your CV? Why?” There’s a lot of reasons why it wouldn’t look good. In fact, most recruitment departments will find being a workaholic more a detriment than an advantage. Here are some reasons why it can become a problem.
- Being a workaholic is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. As such, it will influence the good majority of your life. While it’s great that you’re determined to finish that workload that has been clawing at the back of your head, it’s also going to affect performance.
- It’s an added health risk for the company. A workaholic won’t know when to stop working and take a break. There have been some instances where people have passed out, and in extreme cases, died from over-exhaustion from work. Many finance and business consultancy firms would advise companies to strike a work-life balance for employees.
- Workaholics can also be liability towards team cohesion. In fact, most workaholics will usually put a lot of stress into the team rather than motivating them to work harder.
- When you’re working long hours, management and employers will see that you’re working harder and longer than intended. This can lead to superiors asking for more workload to be done. While this might mean that you’ll earn more, the majority of workaholics are exploited solely because it is an impulse for them to work.
There’s a fine line between high-performing employees and workaholics who have to work overtime. So take it easy. Committing to your work doesn’t mean that you should exhaust every single calorie in your body to please your employer, it’s about the output that you can produce for the business.
While everyone needs to work hard to put food in the table and to save up for a better future, only your employers will benefit from you working too hard. Think of it this way: Charles Bukowski rose to prominence as a writer at the age of 49 when he wrote his first novel. Did he work hard? Not really. Did he become famous? Yes. If Bukowski can become successful and famous while giving just the right amount of effort, then you can do the same thing. There’s nothing wrong with working hard, but just remember why you’re working in the first place.
So learn to relax and take that well-earned vacation with your family. There’s no problem with working and being productive, at the same time. If you’re out with friends and having a good time, put your phone’s messaging platform into do not disturb mode. You need to have some peace of mind. There’s no such thing as work that’s easy, but you have to remember why you’re working in the first place: for a better future for you, and for your family.
