The number of workaholics, or in other words, work addicts is increasing. Whether it is because of the pace that today’s life and society have achieved, fear of losing your job or for any other reason, the truth is that this type of addiction is becoming more and more common. Many times we are workaholics without even noticing it. If after reading this, you are wondering if you are one of them or how to avoid it, in this post we explain everything.
Signs to know if you are a workaholic
Many people are unaware that they have a work addiction. Even though their loved ones have told them once and again, they don’t quite accept it and take it as a joke. But there are a number of signs that indicate that what you have is an addiction to work, pay attention to them:
- You always look for any excuse not to rest and keep working
- You no longer have a social life due to the number of hours you spend at work.
- You neglect your loved ones and leave them unattended because of your work
- You are egocentric in your work, you don’t delegate tasks nor ask for help from other colleagues because you think that if you don’t do it yourself, it won’t be done well.
- You sacrifice sleep hours
- You feel guilty when you are not working
- You don’t know how to say “no” when you are asked to do a new task or spend some extra time.
- You are connected or on the phone all day long.
If you have felt identified by reading this list, we are sorry to tell you that you are a workaholic. But don’t worry, because this, like any other addiction, can be solved.
How to avoid workaholism
Don’t be confused, even though it is a work addiction, just like any other addiction, it brings negative consequences and worsens your quality of life. Being a workaholic causes anxiety and stress, difficulty in falling asleep, worsens social relationships, brings mental and physical health problems, ect. Therefore, the most appropriate option is to put an end to it. Here we leave you a series of steps you need to take to stop your workaholism:
- Admit it and be aware. You can’t end your addiction to work if you don’t admit that you have it. Therefore, the first step would be to accept it to be aware of its negative consequences
- Delegate tasks. Leave your egocentrism aside and learn to delegate tasks to other colleagues. It is not necessary for you to assume the entire workload and sacrifice your free time to get it done. You are a team at work and, therefore, you should start asking for help to your colleagues whenever you need it
- Seat a schedule for your free time and time with your loved ones. Dedicate some time each day for you, find an activity or hobby that you like and make you motivated , so your desire to finish your workday will increase and you will stop looking for excuses to work more time. In addition, you should also dedicate more time and give priority to your loved ones.
- Stick to your work schedule. Limit yourself to work on your work schedules and stick to it no matter what. To do this, it is recommended that you create a list of tasks where you mark which are priorities and increase your daily productivity.
- Exercise. Spend at least three times a week doing some exercise. This will force you to get out of your house or office and move around. In addition, physical exercise helps you clear your mind and sleep better.
- Learn to say no. The key to avoid being a workaholic is to learn to set limits. To do this, one of the fundamental steps is to know how to say “no” and not accept all work tasks.
Now it's time to get down to work and kick your workaholism once and for all.