Workaholism is another word for work addiction or addiction to work. Get to know with us today the four main reasons you use as alibies to your workaholism tendencies.
Workaholism is referred to in Japan as the phenomenon of karoshi – work addiction – which is a psychological syndrome that affects not a few people. In Japanese translation, this word means “death from overwork” or “work until death”, and it appeared for the first time in the 1960s when a worker in a Japanese shipping company died of stroke resulting from continuous work for more than 16 hours a day.
It’s not related to Japan only, China also loses the equivalent of 600,000 people annually due to overworking habits.
Do you Classify as a Workaholic?
We used our social media to ask our followers if they considered themselves addicted to work. The result was that 62 consider themselves addicted to work, while 38% do not
One of our followers says she’s a former social media specialist in one of the largest advertising agencies in Egypt
For five years I have been working from 9 am to 9 pm daily, and weekends from 10 am to 10 pm. Even during barbecues, night outs, family gatherings, and on transportation, I was working 24/7
A.A, recovered workaholic
A.A. explained that she’d never realized her problem. Although she noticed problems of lack of concentration and poor productivity despite long working hours. Her manager, fortunately, felt this and argued her to work only during the specified working hours from 9 am to 5 pm.
At that time, I got confused so hard, what will I do in all this free time! I ‘m lost, I don’t know what people are supposed to do after work. But within two weeks I started exploring life again
A.A, recovered workaholic
The biggest problem facing a workaholic is not realizing that work addiction is a primarily problem that has severe consequences on his daily life. Having your life “electrifyed” is a cruel and uncomfortable feeling. Don’t be surprised if you have sleep disturbances or neuropathy problems if you over work.
What drives your overworking habits?
There are four different drivers of workaholism. There are four reasons for working hard. But they all lead to the same bad results that will ruin your life!
- Motivational
- Emotional
- Perceptual
- Behavioral
Work addicts may think that continuing to work may be due to an incentive they have to give their best and achieve their goals quickly, and others may push to work for emotional reasons. Work addicts are constantly feeling negligent and guilty. They believe they must work more and intensely for the sake and stability of the company.
Some people suffer because of cognitive, behavioral problems that make them believe the more they work, the more efficient they are.
A.S, a young woman who works in the field of media and whose working hours in one period reach 20 hours a day, she believes that what she does of physical and mental exhaustion is normal and common as a result of her love for her work and her intense focus on it.
Everyone notices and advises, “Isn’t this enough job?” But she continues until she feels good about herself. However, she suffers from a lot of problems that she noticed recently, saying:
Unfortunately, there is no fun going out. It is possible to travel if it doesn’t stop me from my work. I’m almost always introverted and lack socializing untill I reach an explosion point where I talk for two days. I get obsessive about every need that it must be true and in its place and many other symptoms. No one understands why as long as there is no return or gain or I don’t need to work or exhaust myself
AS works in the media field
The problem with the issue of work addiction also lies in the prevailing opinion within society, according to which it is not possible to provide material security and a comfortable life without hard work. However, psychiatrists warn that in this case people often switch effective work with the total time allocated to work, as people often feel that if they spend more time at work, they will perform better and thus get the required compensation.
Are women more likely to suffer from workaholism?
Both men and women suffer from work addiction and work stress. But research shows that women tend to experience work addictions more, and their health appears to be more at risk.
Women tend to suffer from significantly higher levels of work-related stress, anxiety and depression compared to men, with workplace gender discrimination and family responsibilities providing additional professional stress.
Women also often face additional stress in the workplace due to their sense of the following
- They have to work hard and long to prove that they are as good as their male colleagues
- Lack of assessment and fair evaluation
- Pay inequality
- Lack of administrative support
- Trying to prove that family life did not negatively affect their work
- The need to do everything right
Now what can we do about work addiction?
- Take time outside of work and work to enjoy your own time.
- Direct your energy toward other areas of your life, such as your family, friends, and hobbies. Make sure you achieve a balance between life and work.
- Always appreciate the progress you are making, but take the time to reward yourself by pausing
Workaholism recovery is possible. If you think you may be suffering from a work addiction but aren’t sure how to take the first step toward recovery, make an appointment with a professional. They will be able to help you assess your tendencies towards work addiction and create a treatment plan.
