Most workaholics explain their engagement into performing official duties by passion – in CBOS research as many as 75 per cent of Poles declared that they like their work. Therefore, it is not surprising that the greatest pleasure from work feel people with the highest incomes – private entrepreneurs and employees of a middle management. We work much more than any other European nation. According to the labour code, we should not spend more than 40 hours at work, but often we care of our business activities more than other Europeans and we are able to devote much more for work, including time which should be reserved for ourselves or our family – continues Iwona Kowalewski, pedagogue and specialists of SITA partnership in the area of modern educational methods.
Sometimes stronger involvement in work is understandable. The necessity of solving an urgent problem or realization of an ambitious project, no matter of hours devoted for it, brings satisfaction, opens or even changes a path of career. However, undue involvement in work descends into addiction. According to Iwona Kowalewski, the time which is spent by Poles in companies points out that we may actually deal with an increasing problem of workaholism, and it is really close from it to hurt relatives, destroy health or lose a will to live. Therefore, it is worth remembering that during a day one should intend eight hours for sleep, eight for work and eight for relax. The fact which separates enthusiasts from workaholics is that the first ones understand the meaning of rest and recovery – believes Iwona Kowalewski. – If we start a work day with several minutes of relaxation, during which we keep distance and perspective to everyday tasks, and we similarly finish it, it will result in better memory, concentration and ideas concerning both professional and private life.
Workaholism may be simply defined as a balance disturbance between work and other spheres of life, thus – as in case of other addictions – loss of control over own life. It is connected with continuous thinking of work, not being able to use free time, feeling discomfort caused by a moment of relax. The most popular symptoms of workaholism are daily staying after hours and taking work to a house, leading conversations only on professional subjects, neglecting family and friends, lack of time for entertainment and foregoing hobby as well as great remorse caused by making even the smallest mistake. Among symptoms of workaholism, we cannot ignore these physiological ones, i.a. everlasting tiredness, headache, stomach ulcers, sickness, pain in the chest, and problems with sleeping and concentration.