Beware, workaholic ahead!

The urgency of deadlines, the spirit of competition and the pressure of work can often get the better of you at your workplace. There are times then, when you are glued to your seat staring at the computer screen for hours together or continuously grappling with pie charts and bar graphs. It is when this behaviour starts affecting your social or family life and/ or health that it needs to be corrected. Though the ambit of the term ‘workaholic’ is pretty wide, it usually means someone who is obsessive and compulsive about work. People from almost all professions experience workaholism at somepoint or the other. Software professional Ashok V says, “Yes, there aretimes, when I am overloaded with work for many days at a stretch thanks todeadlines, client requirements and appraisals. It does get rigorous andmonotonous.”Before the workload gets to you, there are ways to ensure that youdon’t fall in the workaholic trap. Here’s how you can go about it:Given the competition in today’s age as well as thecomplexity of organisations, there is bound to be a lot of work; besides,multitasking and juggling roles further adding more responsibilities. All saidand done, it is important to take out some spare time for recreation. It couldbe anything from reading to writing or even working out. This helps divertattention and gives a sense of rejuvenation. Confirming this, Ashok says,“To break from a demanding work routine, I often take to reading as Ienjoy it the most. Coping with pressure becomes a little easier then.”Take a break: Not all can afford the luxury of a sabbatical from work but forthose who can, it is advisable to opt for it. In some cases, if you can delegatework you must do it. This helps in distributing the load and puttingothers’ competencies to good use. At times, a change of department or teamin the same office can bring in a breath of fresh air and also add to yourknowledge base. However, there are times when you are overburdened with work (the reason may be a colleague who is not present or a fastapproaching deadline) with no one to rely on. In such a case, you should take everything in your stride and not get bogged down by the work on hand. Socialise: The best way to avoid workaholism is to regularly interact with colleagues and/ or spend time with family. This not only helps release tension but also strengthens the inter-personal relationships at home and the workplace. Information technology engineer Divya N states, “In case of mounting work pressure, I turn to my co-workers for comfort. Just speaking to them or learning from their experience can be of great help.” Apart from the above you can find yourown ways to deal with workaholism. The key is to try and maintain a balance inyour work and social life. If ignored, workaholism can take a toll on your mental andphysical health. If things get out of hand, it is advisable to see a specialisedcounselor. It is said that the best way to overpower one’s obsession is toreplace it with another. By the same token, it is up to the person concerned asto how he/ she deals with addiction to work. All said and done, it is onlypersonal discretion and sensible decisionmaking which can help in curbingworkaholism.