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America -- Home to Workaholics
It is pretty likely that you -- or someone you know -- is a workaholic. Workaholics live for their work, often spending many extra ours at work, and often taking work home to complete. Americans -- live in a work-hard culture, but when work becomes the sole reason for a person's existence above more important things (such as family and friends), the issue becomes critical.
Part of the matter is societal. Americans are working more hours per week than in years past, and with all the downsizings and consolidations and lack of replacement hirings, more and more workers are putting in extra hours to complete the work previously completed by others. Some studies show that as many as 40 percent of workers don't even bother to take vacations, partly because of fears they may not have a job to come back to if they do.
Part of the matter is technological. We live and work in a connected environment -- e-mails, instant messaging, fax machines, and cell phones -- making it hard for workers to truly get time away from their work.
Part of the matter is financial. Whether it is how more and more of us mistakenly define success in terms of financial measures or the fact that many Americans simply must work multiple jobs to earn a living wage and keep their families out of poverty, we are working more and more for the financial results.
Regardless of the reasons, workaholism can be a serious condition that can lead to the destruction of families, as well as to serious stress-related health problems. When work becomes the sole reason for being -- when it becomes the only thing we think about, the only thing that truly makes us happy -- then it is time to do something. And do not confuse hard work for workaholism. Hard workers know the boundaries between work and personal times and can function normally when not at work, while workaholics have no personal times and cannot function well outside of work.
The key to reducing workaholism is making time away from work. It will take some effort to sift from a sole focus on work, but for your mental and physical health, you really should make the effort to do the following: Spend time with family and (non-work) friends; Call home often to stay connected; Learn how to delegate work -- and learn to say no to new assignments; Take time off and leave work behind; Consider exercises to get your body back to a healthy shape; Consider volunteering -- to help others and to meet new people; Convince yourself it is okay sometimes to just sit and relax and do nothing; Find a hobby or two; Fight the urge that everything you do must be perfect -- to your standards. |