Workaholism: Working For The Sake of Constant Activity

Some people are not aware that there is a world of difference between being “hardworking” and being a “workaholic.” Being hardworking is characterized by perseverance and diligence. However, being compelled to work for the sake of working, and you feel panic, anxiety or a sense of loss when you aren’t working, is a case of being a workaholic. And that is a totally different story.
The difference between the two lies in knowing when to stop and set boundaries. A hardworking person knows when he/she has worked long enough. On the other hand, the workaholic feels uneasy and not yet satisfied with his/her work even if he/she has been doing it for hours longer than the usual. The lack of constant activity makes the workaholic person uneasy and incomplete.
According to Diane M. Fassel, author of Working Ourselves to Death and Chief Executive of New Measures, which conducts employee satisfaction surveys, “the workaholic is addicted to incessant activity. The behavior continues even if the worker becomes aware that it is personally harmful — even harmful to the quality of the work.”
Compared to drug addiction and alcoholism, being a workaholic is viewed by many as praiseworthy. They are rewarded for working excessively, which never happens with addiction.
However, mental health professionals are now considering workaholism as a condition that can cause both mental and physical damage. There are certain types of people who are more susceptible to workaholism than others. They are the perfectionists and those who have the need to be always in control.
Also, these are the people who engage in too much work in order to escape from a bad relationship or to make up for an absence in one’s personal life. The danger of working too hard is that the stress that goes along with it has been shown to lead to substance abuse, sleep disorders, anxiety, and, ultimately, to physical problems like heart disease.
The following are tell-tale signs of workaholism:
When most people close to you feel neglected by you because of your work, you should certainly take their concerns seriously.
When you regularly conceal from family members that you are working, even sneaking into the next room to work on your laptop, you may have a problem.
Nowadays, people are just too willing to get connected, 24-7. Advances in technology have significantly contributed in transforming people into becoming workaholics. The advent of mobile phones, laptops, and internet shops allow people easy access to go online wherever they are; be it in the restaurants, on the sidewalk, at home, or during vacation.
Workaholism can be very hard to change. It will require professional help, as well as behavioral and cognitive therapy. During treatment, workaholics may go through withdrawal syndrome. The active support of family members and friends may be needed to turn the tide.

Coffee Therapy for Coffee-Induced Anxiety Attacks

Studies about coffee has proven that the beverage can help enhance alertness and physical performance. But it is a well-established fact that coffee, or rather its caffeine content, is a factor for anxiety attacks. Caffeine, after all, is a known stimulant that could induce feelings of excitement or panic.

How does coffee contribute to having a panic attack? The caffeine we get from coffee works by blocking the depressant function of adenosine, one of the many chemicals the brain produces. And although this may give some people a sense of focus, it may cause people who are more susceptible to anxiety disorders to manifest symptoms of anxiety, like sweaty palms and quickened pulses. But sometimes, it isn't an actual anxiety attack that's happening. It is simply a misinterpreted caffeine-induced buzz.

In most instances, mental health professionals would prescribe the use of anxiety medications like Buspar and advise anxiety disorder sufferers to lay off on coffee to deal with such feelings of irrational panic and anxiety. But some psychologist have a different take on a different approach to treating coffee lovers who report having panic attacks. They advise consuming more caffeine.

This approach can be accounted for as a kind cognitive-behavioral therapy where sufferers are taught how to differentiate simple coffee buzz from an actual panic attack. Drinking too much coffee can give you sweaty palms, a pounding heart, and make you hear ringing in your ears, which to those predisposed to the psychological condition may appear as signs of impending doom. And once this thought process has started, the anxiety can take a life of its own and lead to a full-scale panic attack.

This cognitive-behavioral approach teaches sufferers of the many physical changes consuming caffeine can bring and help them understand that their so-called symptoms of a heart attack is just the body's normal reaction to caffeine. Anxiety sufferers are then taught to differentiate unfounded fears from actual threats. Successfully doing so will help prevent people from overreacting to a simple coffee buzz and avoid blowing the experience out of proportion.

Although it is true that coffee, and the caffeine it contains, may worsen anxiety and panic disorders, it is important to understand that these may simply be just the caffeine making its way around. It is, after all, the most widely, albeit unintentionally, used mood-altering drug in the world.

Take Control of Holiday Stress

The holidays will be here whether you like it or not. So, you either face it or skip it. Skipping the holidays entirely means going somewhere else where you will not be bothered by anything that will remind you of the festive season. And that will be quite a feat. For everywhere you go, there will always be something that will remind you that it's the holiday season, and you will only be hounded by your conscience for running away from it.

You don't have to go through such an emotional ordeal just to cope with the stress and anxiety that go with the holiday traditions: the gift-shopping list you still haven't bought, the gifts you have already bought but haven't had the time to wrap yet, the pile of party invitations here and there... and so on and so forth.

But for many, the number one source of holiday stress is none other than your very own family. Once you think about the family dinner, the obligations, and the burden of family traditions, it's more than enough to trigger the advent of holiday stress.

To prepare yourself in coping better this season, ask yourself just what it is in holidays that you dread about. By specifically identifying that vague sense of dread, you are setting yourself up in dealing with it directly. Here is a list of some of the things that can trigger a holiday stress:

• Unhappy memories. Family reunions during the holiday season will naturally bring back old memories. Some of these memories may be more bitter than sweet. Some people associate the holidays with a bad time in their life, such as the loss of a loved one or a previous depression. Then, this time of year can bring those memories back.

• Unwelcomed relatives. Finding yourself in the company of relatives you avoid the rest of the year can trigger anxiety. Those who struggle with depression may face the stigma of being labeled as lazy or too emotional. It can really be hurtful when people think that way.

• Negative changes. Just like news, everything that’s changed in your life - specifically the changes that border in the negative, such as separation, financial losses - are usually the ones that become highlighted as topics of conversation. Any of these can really unsettle a gathering and add holiday stress.

• Lack of energy. Since this is also the cold and flu season, you’re more likely to be stressed out by obligations and errands. You’re immune system is down, eating habit at its worst, and sleeping a lot less than you used to. By the time the family gathering rolls around, you’re all worn out, tense, and fragile.

While the holidays can make people feel seem out of control, it doesn't have to. Take some control over the holidays, instead of letting them control you. When yo do things not because you want to but you have to, think again. Do you really have to?

Make a list of reasons why you engage in these holiday traditions, and then a list of reasons why you shouldn’t. This list will remind you that you do have a choice. Try not to do things the same way just because that’s how you always do them. Focus on the holiday stresses that you can control. If the old holiday traditions aren’t working, if they’re not making you happy and causing holiday stress, it’s time to do it differently.





Resource Box : Monch Bravante is a freelance writer and an advertising practitioner with special interest in public health issues.