With today’s advances in technology, it can become difficult to separate our private life and work life. As laptops and tablets become very accessible and emails can now be read through our mobile phones, it may seem that work is always with us wherever we go and people tend to become workaholics.
Being a workaholic means that a person is giving out most of his or her time to work, misses out on activities outside of work like friends and family events, gatherings and the like, as well as time, meant for your personal needs like sleep and rest.
Work can also become an addiction, where one likes the thrill and adrenalin that work gives. Some become unable to maintain the balance between work and life.
Advantages of Being a Workaholic
Workaholics tend to give out more outputs and take more workloads than normal employees. More work may also mean more pay, which can create greater financial stability.
Work also gives a sense of pride to workaholics, especially in their achievements at work. Their boss can also favour them a lot, as they are reliable with the work given to them. They are mostly the go-to person if the work needs to be done fast and well.
A sense of achievement to work can be good for your health. A feeling of self-gratification is felt by workaholics when they put in so much of their effort and time to work and when it is done. This sense of achievement also helps in reducing depression in work in the work environment.
Disadvantages of Being a Workaholic
On the other, being a workaholic does not necessarily make one productive. Many workaholics put in long hours of work but fail to become effective. They also have difficulty in entrusting and delegating the work to others and tend to be control freaks, which leads to them having heavier workloads.
Workaholics are oftentimes stressed out and burnt out. The constant mental stress that work can give can affect the health of the person, both mentally and physically. Severe stress can shorten the life span of a person.
Being a workaholic can have an impact on your relationships. Work can alienate you from your loved ones, restrict you from spending time and taking a break to relax with them.
Benefits of Keeping Healthy While at Work
Keeping a healthy environment at work will not just help you, but help your entire team. It can also affect your relationship with your co-workers, as well as your relationships outside of work with friends and families.
Keeping yourself healthy can also affect the quality of your outputs for work. You can only give your best when you are in your best condition as well.
Symptoms of Workaholism
- Often works through lunch and other breaks
- Check work emails on weekends
- Go to work even when ill
- Usually the first person in the office
- Your hobbies are related to your job
- Finds it difficult to relax and enjoy even on day-offs or holidays
- Regularly work more than your contracted hours
- Cancel social plans, outings, or occasions to catch up o work
- You still have a lot of unused vacations by year’s end
- Have trouble delegating work tasks to other co-employees
Ways to Keep Yourself Healthy
Drinking plenty of water.
As our bodies work 24/7, it is important to keep yourself hydrated to combat any stresses that come along the way. Drinking lots of water even during work is important. You can leave a tumbler with water at your desk to always remind you to drink it as often as possible.
Eating the right food.
Being mindful of the things you eat is very important. Develop a good and healthy eating habit. You can start by eating a full breakfast in the morning. Avoid eating unhealthy and greasy foods, and add fruits and vegetables to your lunch. Refrain from eating junk food and do it in moderation. Eating healthy means giving the right fuel to your body.
Exercising regularly
Having regular exercise is always good for your health. According to research, engaging in 30 minutes of exercise a day is enough to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Being active will help in maintaining your physical and mental health. You can start by exercising even in your home. Running and walking around the block in the morning, start an exercise routine app, set up a hiking session with friends, or enroll in boxing or any gym session to maintain being active.If you are experiencing difficulties and burnt out at work, or showing any signs of workaholism, contact a medical professional. You can also call an online doctor Toronto for consultation and for further diagnosis. You can also have online consultations for any signs of sickness you are experiencing. Look for rocketdoctor.ca if you do have health concerns.