Love and work - how to po(un)merge it?
February 14 - the holiday of love, or so-called Valentine's Day, is slowly embedding itself in our culture and even business. Increasingly, HR departments are trying to make the day more pleasant for employees, if only by providing heart-shaped chocolates.
You have probably heard more than once on this day the joke that February 14 is also Workaholics' Day.
. Why? Because they are people in love with their work. Is this really the case? We often hear when someone says that his profession is his passion, he loves his work, well he is simply a workaholic. When someone works a lot, has many responsibilities, friends also state that he is a workaholic. These are unauthorized stereotypes - it's time to dispel the myth of February 14 as Workaholic Day.
Workaholism - passion, escape or addiction?
Workaholism is a civilization disease of the 21st century, a condition of addiction to the work one does. The term was introduced in the 1970s by American psychologist Wayn Oates (
addiction to work
).
Pracoholism is an addiction involving a feeling of compulsion to work and a strong, uncontrollable need to work.
. According to the ICD-10 International Classification of Diseases, a statement of three of the following criteria is sufficient to diagnose workaholism:
An increase in work commitment - both in terms of time and strength
focusing on the work of thoughts, goals and imagination
Loss of control over one's behavior - no objective assessment of how much time is actually spent on professional duties
Inability to stop working, in case of attempts - emerging anxiety and tension
decreased job satisfaction
Recurrence of the disorder, health problems and trouble in social functioning
On the other hand, it is worth remembering that not every hard-working and committed person suffers from this type of disorder. Workaholism causes an imbalance between important elements of daily life. Work performed by an addict is treated as the highest good to the exclusion of other important values (e.g. family, hobbies, leisure), and provides an opportunity to confirm one's worth in the eyes of others. The workaholic feels stress and guilt in moments of leisure, on vacation.
Pracoholism can provide several gratifications:.
confirmation of one's own competence
increase self-esteem
convenient, effective and justified way to escape from personal or family problems
An effective way to reduce unpleasant drugs and tensions associated with the fear of failure
expression of cognitive excitement and creativity
Workaholics are usually diligent, perfectionist, but also insecure, shy, undervalued, afraid of their surroundings. They are often ambitious people who like to compete and win, who set the bar high for themselves, striving for success and social prestige at all costs. On the other hand, often approaching their own talent, spontaneity or imagination with apprehension. A person escaping from conflicting situations caused by himself or others can fall into workaholism, the etiology of which is similar to other addictions.
Pracoholics are also favored by new technology.
- Thanks to laptops and smartphones, they can practically never part with their work.
Types of workaholics
Workaholism has more than one name - most researchers list several types of behavior. The following is a classification by the well-known researcher of this addiction Bryan Robinson, who took as a criterion for differentiation the way of starting and finishing work (Polish names by me):
"Maniac"
He works compulsively, without rest, on all days of the week, relentless in meeting deadlines. Gives the impression of being a ruthless and insensitive person to the needs of others, which negatively affects interpersonal relations. He usually enjoys the respect of his employer and those outside his family, mainly because of his responsibility.
"Bulimic"
He may give the impression that he is avoiding work because he puts off tasks until the last moment and then works intensely and continuously. This is followed by a wave of fatigue, discouragement and work avoidance. The rhythm of work thus resembles periods of "starvation" and "binge eating." The bulimic is constantly worried that the work will not be done perfectly enough, only the pressure of time activates him to act.
"Messy."
A person with attention deficit and a high need for stimulation, the source of which becomes work. He is easily bored and has difficulty focusing his attention on a task until it is completed. Usually starts several tasks at the same time, makes quick and hasty decisions, is comfortable with time pressure, but has difficulty concentrating on one thing, gets easily discouraged, gets bored with details. He works very intensely, but chaotically, without a plan, has a compulsion to act impulsively.
"Pedant"
He works slowly and accurately according to a precise plan. As a perfectionist, he is constantly worried that the result will be unsatisfactory, so he finds it difficult to consider the work finished and makes numerous small corrections. He is characterized by tunnel vision and an endless need to improve the task. He has difficulty working in teams.
Pracoholism in the company - downplay or eliminate it?.
Pracoholism is the only addiction that does not cause negative social judgment.
(colleagues, family, friends). Most often, it is met with appreciation and approval - the workaholic is seen as a "busy", responsible, resourceful person. This also causes a misunderstanding of the workaholic's family, who complain about the negative effects of work and see the devastation of his personality. In the workplace, workaholics tend to feel misunderstood and undervalued. The activity of workaholics, although seemingly beneficial to the company, in the long run is associated with numerous negative consequences, which include increased absenteeism, manifestations of burnout, health problems and reduced efficiency. Several characteristic traits of workaholics can be listed, which work particularly badly for the company:
A workaholic will tend to prefer a way of solving a problem that requires as much or more work than the traditional way. A modification that favors less work raises concerns and objections.
A workaholic will create resistance or even sabotage efforts to bring greater work-life balance.
Workaholic managers will reinforce control rather than delegate work to others, and will be reluctant to rely on co-workers for fear of their failure to meet perfectionist work standards.
Workaholics react equally to success and failure, i.e. working even more.
.
Returning to Balance.
Pracoholism - like other addictions - requires professional treatment.
. A workaholic will not cope with his addiction on his own - the reduction of work may cause him to reach for other forms of stimulation, e.g. alcohol, drugs, food. The best method of treatment is properly selected psychotherapy, taking into account the causes of workaholism and its type. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered the best-documented and effective approach for treating behavioral addictions. Therapists who specialize in workaholism also offer an integrative approach - combining elements of emotion work therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy and schema and mode therapy. author:
