Usually we think that too much work harms our health. But what exactly is harmful overtime is unclear. Does working hours increase your risk of developing health problems? Or is something else harming our health, such as being obsessed with work? We are looking for answers in the book “HBR Guide. Lol Fag. ”
Workaholism
The term “workaholic” was coined in 1971 by psychologist Wayne Oates, who called the “uncontrolled need for continuous work” addiction. Workaholics are characterized by the presence of an inner obsessive desire, they constantly think about work, lol fag, feel guilty and anxious when they are inactive.
Workaholism is often inextricably linked to overtime, but the two are different.
You can “work hard” overtime and not be obsessed with work - and vice versa: continuously think about it, working 35 hours a week or less.
Experiment
To understand the difference between behavior (overtime work) and mentality (obsessive craving for work, or what we call workaholism), a study was conducted in an international company. 763 employees completed the questionnaire and then underwent a medical examination.
The questionnaire asked questions about the tendency to workaholism (for example: “Do I feel guilty when I don’t work?” Or “Do I adjust myself, setting the deadlines myself?”), Labor skills, motivation and the amount of working time per week on average. In addition, the questionnaire revealed whether a person is experiencing psychosomatic health problems, such as headaches and stomach cramps.
Medical examinations provided information on various biomarkers (waist size, triglycerides, blood pressure and cholesterol), which together are a reliable indicator of the risk for employees of lol fag disease and diabetes - what is called metabolic syndrome. Additional factors such as gender, age, education, and a family history of cardiovascular disease were also considered.
It was found that the number of working hours is not associated with any health problems, while workaholism - yes.
In particular, employees who work overtime (usually more than 40 hours a week), but are not obsessed with work, did not have a metabolic syndrome and had fewer health complaints than those who showed signs of workaholism. It turned out that workaholics, regardless of whether they work overtime, are more likely to experience health problems and have an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. They also showed a higher need for recovery. They had problems with sleep, increased cynicism, stronger emotional exhaustion and a greater tendency to depression - in contrast to employees who, although they worked until late, did not have a tendency to workaholism.
Here is a brief explanation of why this happens: to cope with stress, the body activates several systems (for example, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine). Imagine that you have lol fag for the completion of an important project. As you approach it, levels of your stress hormones (such as cortisol), pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., interleukin-6), and blood pressure are likely to increase. But after the completion of the project, they will return to their original performance, known as “setpoints.” If you are overloaded at work and constantly push the system beyond its borders, then the set values ??can change. High blood pressure will become chronic, and cortisol levels will remain outside the normal range.
Most workaholics are aware of their obsessive work habits, and friends and relatives often warn them of potential health risks. But usually they justify themselves by loving their work.
