{"id":330,"date":"2022-03-28T20:52:11","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T20:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nicholasidoko.com\/blog\/?p=330"},"modified":"2024-08-07T08:54:22","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T07:54:22","slug":"is-being-a-workaholic-a-bad-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nicholasidoko.com\/blog\/is-being-a-workaholic-a-bad-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Wrong To Be a Workaholic?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The term “workaholic” carries a negative connotation, and rightly so in many circumstances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working too much is linked to increased stress levels, decreased workplace productivity, strained relationships, and an unhealthy work-life balance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, many of us produce our greatest work when we are under a lot of pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of our most cherished career highlights would not have occurred if we all drew the line at 5 p.m. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or if we had closed up shop the minute the day was done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We probably wouldn’t get half as much done if we weren’t pushing ourselves so hard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you’re a workaholic, or maybe you’re just an extremely hard worker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s natural to believe that this work ethic<\/a> is typical, that the number of hours you put into anything determines your success and is the “real” measure of your commitment to succeeding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, that’s what successful people did: they worked all the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long hours and a lack of work-life balance were prices for progress and a decent paycheck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is a Workaholic?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wayne Oates, a preacher and psychologist, created the term workaholism in 1971.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He described it as “the drive or the uncontrollable need to work endlessly.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workaholism study has been hampered by conflicts about defining and assessing the construct since then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workaholism, for example, is defined as work addiction, a disease, a behaviour pattern that endures across numerous organizational settings, and a syndrome characterized by strong motivation, high job participation, and low work enjoyment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The long and short is that a workaholic works incessantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if it means sacrificing personal connections and fundamental health needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While “workaholism” is not a medical term, it is closely linked to stress, burnout<\/a>, impulse control challenges, and obsessive-compulsive disorders<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a workaholic implies prioritizing work over other activities and giving it a top priority all of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might imply the difference between being engaged and being addicted to the workplace.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, you may be less prepared for the next day, both physically and emotionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are workplaces that reward the hardest workers rather than the most productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you focus on having a more realistic attitude toward work, you can do more and advance your career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read: Living with Purpose: Finding Meaning and Direction in Life<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Workaholism Affects Personal Life and Career<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Below are a few reasons workaholism is adversely affecting you and your career:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It deteriorates the quality of your work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While spending more time at your desk may make you feel like you’re accomplishing more, you may be actually accomplishing less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll waste excessive time at your desk and have very low productivity if you don’t allow your brain to shift focus and enjoy leisure, exercise, and time away from your emails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long hours can also induce mental exhaustion, impairing your problem-solving ability and attention to detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you take a break from an issue, your capacity to solve it when you return is substantially improved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking a break allows you to return refreshed and more capable of completing your activities more efficiently and successfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read: Mental Health and Work: Strategies for Managing Workplace Stress<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It harms your creativity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You miss out on opportunities to read, keep up with current events, and meet new people if you spend most of your time at work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, you’ll not only miss out on new business and networking chances but also limit your ability to think creatively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might discover that by spending time away from the office and indulging in a range of pastimes, the solution to that business problem you’ve been pondering comes more readily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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