Psychologists have explained how to recognize and prevent workaholism

Workaholism is not just a commitment to work, it is a real addiction that can ruin a person's life. Unlike people who simply love their work, workaholics are ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of their professional duties. Leading experts in the field of psychology told Inc-News how to recognize the dangerous symptoms of workaholism and bring balance back into your life.

How to understand that a person has become a workaholic and not just loves his job?

Olga Kremneva, an international certified business coach for entrepreneurs, executive coach, personal coach for millionaires, an expert in the field of financial and personal growth, notes that workaholism is often an escape from reality and problems in other areas of life. To understand whether you are a workaholic, you need to ask yourself the question: "How much time do I devote to various important areas of life - relationships, self-development, hobbies, family, rest, etc.?" If work takes up too much space, and other areas suffer, this is the first sign of workaholism.

"It's important to note that being a workaholic and working 24/7 is often synonymous with inefficiency," she says. "The Pareto law states that 20% of the actions produce 80% of the results. Often, a person violates this rule, and spends most of their time on fuss, chaos, and performing unnecessary tasks."

Andrey Gulyaev, alternative psychologist, master of deep psychology, creator of the Academy of Resource States, president of the public organization "The Path of Beauty", adds:

"The human psyche is designed in such a way that it requires self-realization in all contexts. In fact, we all have only three tasks: to get rid of fears, to improve relationships and to achieve some of our goals. If realization in all these contexts occurs, then a person becomes happy.

However, if we are talking about workaholics, then this is always a question of dependence: a person escapes from a situation of dissatisfaction in one of the areas of his life and begins to satisfy his needs in another part of it."

Kira Bakhtina, a CBT therapist and expert at the online school of psychological professions "Psychodemiya", emphasizes that workaholism is one of the most socially approved addictions.

"Work undoubtedly benefits a person: it makes life meaningful, structured, allows one to improve one's skills and enrich oneself both materially and socially. But workaholism is an excessive reliance on work and the perception of it as the only resource in life, which leads to ignoring other important areas."

What health problems can workaholics develop over time?

Workaholics often do not pay due attention to their health. They do not find time for sports and proper nutrition, working themselves to exhaustion. Olga Kremneva explains:

"Imagine that you bought a car and start using it to the point of wear and tear: racing, braking sharply, etc. At the same time, you do not perform maintenance on it. What will happen to this car in two years? And our body is an even more fragile substance! A workaholic does not rest, does not take care of himself. And this, as a rule, can lead to the most terrible consequences."

In addition to physical exhaustion, workaholism can lead to psychological problems – anxiety, panic attacks and fears. The nervous system is overloaded, which can lead to serious disorders. Olga Kremneva gives an example:

"Once Oscar Hartman, a famous businessman, went on vacation with his family and while swimming in the pool his body simply switched off due to nervous system overload. If it weren't for the rescuers, he would have drowned."

Andrey Gulyaev also shares an interesting case from his practice:

"Once a woman came to me complaining of pain in her left breast. According to Dr. Hamer, pain in this area signals problems with a child. I asked the patient about her situation in this area. The woman answered that she had no children, but at the same time her brainchild was her business, which was going through hard times and was causing her a lot of worries. If you make a family system out of a business, then the destruction of the business can lead to our illness and even death."

What makes people become workaholics in our time?

There are many reasons for workaholism. This includes the cult of work that came from the Soviet Union, and avoidance of other areas of life, and the desire to prove one's importance or overcome difficulties. Olga Kremneva identifies the following reasons:

• The cult of work: the idea that the more you work, the more you earn has taken root in an entire generation.
• Avoidance of other areas of life: people often avoid relationships or other important areas, fearing failure or feeling unworthy.
• Life strategies: proving one's worth or overcoming difficulties become life strategies that lead to workaholism.

Kira Bakhtina also explains:

"As children, future workaholics are often forbidden to rest. Parents shame them for inaction, which creates in the child a constant need to occupy themselves in order to avoid becoming the object of criticism. Personality traits such as a tendency toward perfectionism, a need for control, and a desire to dominate can also have an impact."

Andrey Gulyaev adds:

"A workaholic is most often a person who is not doing well on the personal front. For example, there are unfulfilled needs for motherhood, fatherhood, partnership, but he moves into a state of satisfaction at work. It also happens that a person transfers his family system to work. For example, in childhood, the father or mother did not praise the child, and now as an adult he needs praise from the manager - this is how he unconsciously tries to complete the processes from his childhood."

Andrey Gulyaev notes that awareness of the problem of workaholism is not enough. Simply stopping being a workaholic will not work; this requires long-term therapy to identify and work through the traumas from the past that underlie this addiction.

Expert advice for preventing and treating workaholism

Preventing and treating workaholism requires a comprehensive approach. Olga Kremneva recommends:

• Plan rest: at least one day off per week and rest during the working day.
• Digitize goals and current state: understand what you are striving for and what you have now.
• Identify fears and hidden benefits of workaholism: understand what you are afraid of and why it is beneficial to "sew up" in work.
• Separate work and other areas of life: it is important to understand that freeing yourself from work does not necessarily lead to the need to engage in other areas.
• Use the "Small Steps" strategy: gradually increase the steps to achieve the desired results in life.
• Schedule time in the calendar for important areas of life: write tasks in the diary so that they are completed.

It's important to remember that if other areas suffer, they will drag down the work you're neglecting them for, she warns.

Kira Bakhtina adds:

"Strengthening other areas of a person's life besides work is a long road with obstacles, but it is doable if the person himself wants it and has supportive people. You can't 'code' someone away from work, but you can gradually change the focus of attention."

What can employers do to help employees avoid workaholism?

Master of deep psychology, founder of the Academy of Resource States Andrey Gulyaev emphasizes that workaholism is often accompanied by perfectionism and the desire for achievement. Such employees can be very convenient for employers, especially in executive positions. However, if employees do not regularly and qualitatively rest, then they will suffer from burnout:

"This usually happens on average after 7 years, although, of course, some people have a greater margin of safety, and others less."

Therefore, it is important for employers to help their employees avoid workaholism in order to maintain productivity and prevent burnout.

International certified business coach Olga Kremneva recommends that employers create individual development plans that take into account not only work goals, but also regular rest - weekends, vacations, breaks during the day.

According to Olga Kremneva, such measures will help employees maintain a balance between work and personal life, which will increase their overall efficiency and satisfaction. Thanks to this, employees will be more energetic, will be able to generate new ideas more often and achieve greater results, while simultaneously improving the quality of their lives in various areas that are important to them.

Conclusion

Workaholism is not just a love of work, but a serious addiction. Awareness and acceptance of this problem, as well as the use of effective measures to prevent it, will help maintain balance, because harmony between work and personal life is the key to health, happiness and professional growth.