W.A.R.E. - Work Addiction Resistance Education

 

Are you hooked emotionally and psychologically to your work. Do you have intense cravings for more work and you'll do anything to get more? Are you willing to work wherever and whenever? When you stop working, do you have unpleasant physical and emotional reactions?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you are a workaholic.

Work addiction involves compulsively seeking to find more work, regardless of the potentially negative social, psychological and physical consequences. Certain types of work are more likely to cause physical dependence than are others.

Project W.A.R.E. (Work Addiction Resistance Education) will help answer all of your questions regarding work addiction.

How can I tell if I'm a workaholic?

Addiction to work may include these general characteristics:

Feeling phantom pressure.  You feel pressure to perform better and you inform others of this pressure as if it were real, but in reality, there is no one pushing you but yourself.  As a result, you work overtime everyday.

Failing repeatedly in your attempts to get home by 8pm. After telling your wife you will "for sure get home before little Suzie goes to bed", you add one more day to the growing pile of nights in which you didn't see your child.

Avoid your real problems.  Your extra work is just a cover to avoid the real problems in your life, like dealing with your unemployed husband who now wears women's lingerie while you're gone.

Bringing your work laptop home, and constant Blackberry usage.  You feel so important that you think you have to work no matter where you are physically located.

You value job titles more than salary. Sudden promotions in job title without an increase in salary is a key indicator of work addiction.  Corporations are fully aware of the fact that you are willing to work ungodly hours for the same pay they already give you, but they would like to recognize you by giving you a "Senior" title.

What are the causes of work addiction?

There are three main causes for work addiction:

Job environment. There are certain industries (Big 4 Accounting), organizations (Accenture), and certain job roles that have an increased risk for work addiction.  Organizations that claim to be huge advocates of work/life balance are typically breeding grounds for workaholics.  The mere presence of such a program within a corporation is an excellent sign that perhaps a large portion of their workforce has no balance.  Similar to weight watchers programs at corporations like 3M.

Genetics/Personality. There is a group of people that have a genetic predisposition to working more hours.  This also happens to be the same group of people that are complete pansies in every aspect of their lives.  They are incapable of saying "no" and this results in 48 agonizing years leading to their eventual stress induced heart attack.

Personal Life. A large faction of workaholics actually have no responsibilities outside of work.  They fill this gigantic void by working 16 hour days.  The other group simply avoids their personal life by hiding behind their work, avoiding their spouse, and their children have no idea who they are.  They prefer work misery over personal life misery.

The effects of work addiction

Health.  Consequences may include heart attack, respiratory failure, pulmonary embolism, obesity, and sudden death. Working long hours may also make you more likely to participate in other unsafe behaviors, like driving in the dark.

Family.  Beyond the fact that you'll no longer be having sex with your spouse, workaholics who are parents should be imprisoned for neglecting their children on a daily basis.

Work. Management's perception of your work performance may improve, but it will anger your non-workaholic coworkers.

Social. What social life?

Treatment Options

Here are some simple options for treating mild or severe cases of work addiction:

Blackberry withdrawal and removal of laptop from the home.  The number of people addicted to work increased dramatically when work went mobile. Coming to the realization that you aren't all that important is a vital step in ending your work addiction.  You'll be amazed at how unimportant you really are after trying this for a week or two.

Shuttle service limiting your day to 8 hours.  Having a friend or family member shuttle you to and from work is an excellent (and pathetic) measure in preventing overtime.

Work withdrawal (or detoxification for severe cases). 
This is best served in the form of a month long vacation to a tropical destination with no access to work.  Side effects of work withdrawal typically include depression, fatigue, anxiety and intense cravings for Excel spreadsheets, and profuse sweating. In some cases, vacationing workaholics may initially have suicidal thoughts and experience momentary numbness.

How can I prevent others from becoming workaholics?

Treat workaholics like criminals.  Look down upon them and punish them for their addiction.  Although it may not change their habits, it will prevent future workaholics from popping up in the office.  By making it socially unacceptable to work past 4pm, people will be afraid of becoming a social outcast if they have workaholic tendencies.

Set a good example.  Never work more than 8 hours and always be sure to leave the office by 4pm, even if you didn't get to work until 9am.  Employees who see people working late are at greater risk of work addiction than those who work around employees who rarely work.

Project W.A.R.E. teaches the employees how to weigh negative and positive consequences, how to build good self-esteem, recognize and deal with management type pressures and much more.  These are all very important factors that you will face in the upcoming years that will surely have an influence on your life.  We must not lose sight on the future leaders of tomorrow.  Let us join together and afford them the vital opportunity they need to live in a workaholic free society.  This is project W.A.R.E.