Are you a workaholic?

WHAT happens when you no longer have a life away from your work?

Have you ever considered that while you are caught up with success at the workplace, there is a let down on living?

The alarming repercussions of workaholism can be seen in the Japanese ``Karoshi'' - a condition that results in death or suicide from overwork, and this can just about be getting to the Indians too. With technology invading every sphere of human life, the home has become an extension of the workplace for many.

Smart devices or smart demises?

Author Diane Fassel calls workaholism ``the cleanest of all addictions.'' It is normal for techies, people working in dotcom start- ups, lawyers, business analysts, doctors and people in the service industries to work round the clock. Most of them fail to realise the stark reality, that compulsive overwork can put performance, family life and personal well being in jeopardy.

Working unreasonable hours and weekends may bring a smile to the employers who regard 9-9 work hours as the model. Others who put in the legal 8-hour regime are just not perceived the ``career'' types, and often do not make the right fit for the next promotion. Whatever be your employer's standpoint, you need to realise that working round the clock will not make your climb up the corporate ladder faster and that with extended professionalism come problems that are debilitating.

A reality check

Traits of a workaholic:

If you treat your home as the second office, and you regularly take work home to finish.

If you take office work with you on a vacation or take smart devices like laptops, cell phones and pagers to keep in touch.

If you are a social recluse preferring to be isolated and buried in your work shunning all forms of social activity and you brush it aside as `trivial'.

If work patterns are the cause of problems in your family life. When you can't enjoy the returns in terms of success or money just because you are too `caught up' with work

If you are physically run down because of overwork and stress and you can't be bothered.

Coping techniques

Thus far and no further

Workaholism is often the cause of family estrangement, frustration, frayed nerves, persistent fatigue and irritation. It is not only the workaholic who is affected, but also the spouse and children often become victims too. Children often behave indifferently and resent a workaholic parent, and this can sometimes become exceptionally pronounced in their teen-age years.

Try to limit your timings at work and get all the work done without wasting much time especially in the peak hours of the day. Set realistic goals for your professional life as well as your personal life. Make sure you do not spend more than 10 hours a day at work. Do not bring home work!

Prime time

Make it a your ambition to devote an hour a day to the prime relationship of your life. Converse and communicate, find out what's new in the other person's life or what's bothering them. Be interested in what your family needs. Once in a while reminiscence over the past and fantasise about the future. The warmth of a relationship can be so soothing that you can forget all the stress and workplace hassles you experience.

Move around

Build a circle of friends who are fun people to be with. A couple of social calls a week can do no you harm and help you unwind. People with whom you can let your hair down or unburden your heart to, give you cause not to get lost in the thick of work all the time.

Take a breather

Take a small break from work every now and then. Just close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, and get a glass of water to cool off.

Relax

Curl up with a good book or listen to some soothing instrumental music or develop new skills and abilities. Make hobbies a habit and don't restrict them to a ``when I get the time'' basis.

Stay healthy

If you want to avoid disorders like the carpel tunnel syndrome, poor eyesight, hypertension, high blood pressure, migraine, digestive disorders, insomnia, breathlessness, or ulcers, then you should consider taking your exercise regime and relaxation a little further.

A few enlightened companies have resorted on a lighter schedule to enable their employees to perform well. They have come to realise that working long hours does not necessarily imply better productivity. Studies reveal that a reasonable amount of time spent working produces better results than overworking can. Think about it seriously, there is a life after office!

ARCHANA JAYAKAR

archana.hyd@careercommunity.co.in