A few months ago I suffered from chronic headache, backache, and was always exhausted. My family said that I worked too hard and my body was rebelling but my reaction to it was ‘everybody works hard’. The doctor first advised countless tests – from thyroid and blood tests to ultrasounds and MRI, but when the results failed to show anything concrete, even he concluded that I was pushing myself to the limits and had to take it easy.
Working around the clock – at home and at office – writing as many as two dozen emails everyday, being glued to my desk and computer, attending countless meetings every week, taking care of two kids, husband and in-laws, and very less sleep had finally taken its toll on my groaning, creaking, and I must admit, ageing body. It was fine when I was in my twenties, but in your thirties there is only so much your mind and body can take, especially when you have to juggle personal and professional life.
In Japanese there is a term for it: Karoshi. It literally translates to death by overwork. In today’s age, almost everyone works too hard. I know someone whose day starts at five in the morning and ends as late as 11 pm or even one in the morning. On good days, she manages to get six hours of sleep, and on regular days, just three to four. And the good days are few and far between. Why do we push ourselves so much and how does it affect our lives? I spoke to some chronic workaholics to find out.
Confessions of a dieter
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My day starts at seven in the morning and I get back home at 10 pm. I usually work on Saturdays too. Bringing work home is the norm. I didn’t think too much about it because a 15-hour workday seemed just right. It was only after I got married that I realized how this lifestyle was hampering my personal life. When you are single, it doesn’t matter what you do and when you come home but once you are married, you have to give priority to your wife and spend time with her too.
Unfortunately, when you have been putting in long hours at work, everybody expects you to do it and you simply can’t go back to normal working hours. There are times when my boss gives me a new assignment at six in the evening. I’ve had to cancel dinner dates with my wife so many times that we’ve both lost count now. My personal life has taken a backseat and I realize I can never make up for all the lost time. Though my wife is extremely supportive, I can see that she isn’t very happy with how things are. And, as a matter of fact, neither am I.
-A man struggling to balance work and life
I have stopped being invited to family dinners and parties because for the last two to three years, I haven’t made it to a single get-together. I would always promise to be there and then simply not show up or take phone calls when they called to see if I were still coming. There are always classes to attend, meetings to be present at, work to do, and more work to do. I’m always too tired, too sleepy, or just not in the mood for chitchat or conversation. People know me as a ‘busy person’, one who always has too many things going on and I’m tired of justifying myself and explaining how things are.
It’s definitely not something I’m proud of because I’m losing touch with so many close people that I feel bad. I make promises to myself to mend relationships and try to catch up whenever I can but then always end up prioritizing other things over it. When you work too hard or too much, it’s very difficult to give time to other important things because when you are not working, you are giving yourself the much-needed break from everything.
Working too much is not always a good thing. Actually, that’s never a good thing. Life will pass you by, and you won’t know until it’s too late. What was that? Something about how nobody ever said ‘I wish I had spent more time at office’ on their deathbed?
-The one who feels left out
Being a workaholic and being overworked are two completely different things. More often than not, people are just plain overworked. It’s not always because people enjoy their work that they tend to let it rule their lives. At least, it’s not that in my case. I like what I do but I wouldn’t do so much of it if I had a choice. I’m a teacher by profession but I also do a lot of content writing and give tuition classes as well. I begin as early as five in the morning and though I get home by eight in the evening, I’m usually working on my computer till late at night.
It’s more out of compulsion than anything else really. I have my retired parents, wife, and two kids to look after and I need to earn as much as I possibly can. Given a choice, I’d have liked to work certain hours and spend the rest of my time with my family and even go on vacations once in a while like many of my friends do but I don’t have that luxury to put a pause on work. My earnings depend on how much I can do. I believe financial concern is one of the major reasons why many people are overworked these days. The cost of living and competition are so high that some of us simply can’t afford to take it easy.
-A father, husband and son
I’m a graphic designer. I have a stable job but I also freelance. So I usually put in 12-15 hours of work every single day. To put it quite simply, I like my job. I enjoy what I do. And I want to be better at it. It is the only reason why I work as much as I do. I also want to open my own design company someday and work on plans for it whenever I have some free time. When you are passionate about what you do, have long-term plans and visions, it’s hard not to let your work consume you. Having a goal to strive for is imperative in life. And for youngsters like me, that’s a good thing. That’s how you grow.
Of course, you have to be ready to make some sacrifices. You won’t get to meet friends as often as you’d like or take too many holidays, but when you are fixated on the bigger picture, there is just no stopping you. It all boils down to your priority in life. I really believe that you need to reach a certain point in your career graph before you can slow down and try to create a work-life balance. As long as you get adequate sleep and take some time out to relax, letting work be the center of your world shouldn’t be a problem.
-A workaholic who loves it
