Work can eclipse our personal lives

If you were to catch the subway in any of Europe’s major cities in the morning rush hour, you would be met with a barrage of smartly dressed men and women, in their suits and skirts on their way to work. Every weekday for many is yet another day in the office. Increasingly in today’s corporate society people spend the vast majority of their time doing one of two things: working or sleeping. It begs the question: are some of us addicted to work?

Princeton University defines workaholics as a people “with a compulsive need to work”, which is something that we see more and more in our contemporary fast-paced society. It has to be asked why people are turning more towards work; is it due to the need to get ahead in the work environment? The need to earn more money? Or is it simply to escape from personal lives?

When deciding whether or not it is an actual problem or simply a new phenomenon, perhaps it is best to look at the scientific theories behind this addiction. Professor Bryan Robinson, who has spent his PhD researching work addictions, has argued that the incessant work-related activity masks anxiety, low self-esteem, and intimacy problems. In Japan they have coined a word for this phenomenon known as ‘karōshi’ which is believed to be such a serious social problem that it can lead to an early death.

Whether you find yourself running in heels up and down Bond Street, or stuck in a financial office in Frankfurt, late at night until even the cleaners have gone home, there is still hope. Akin to alcoholics and other addictions, there is help out there. There is a organisation called Workaholics Anonymous which offers support in overcoming this addiction. The website is host to questionnaires to assess the severity of your addiction. According to the WA, you could have a problem if you answer affirmatively to such questions as: Do you get more excited about your work than about family or anything else? Have your family or friends given up expecting you on time? Do you take on extra work because you are concerned that it won’t get done otherwise?

However is this really as much of a problem as the scientists make out? In most cases, the people I have spoken to about this -whether they work in fast-paced industries such as the music world, or they are still in education- have readily admitted to themselves and others that they are workaholics. After all, the simple fact remains that many people nowadays genuinely enjoy working and excel at it.

According to Eurostat, an average of 65% of the European population work implying that we live by the adage “work hard, to play hard”. People in many worlds of work – from the  financial sector with long office hours, to journalism with tight deadlines – all work hard to pay for the finer things in life. To be treated to a watch from Cartier or a handbag from  Chanel, symbols of modern consumer society, we need to work. We all enjoy a bit of luxury but at what expense?

This fact rings more resolutely in today’s economic climate. Due to the recession many people are increasingly pressured to work. As one businesswoman said to me: “We find ourselves  working harder and for longer hours, for the same money, as no-one wants to lose their jobs,” causing an influx of workaholics. It is sad but true that the credit crunch means that there  are more and more people ready to fill any gaps that arise in the job market.

Unable to tear yourself away from the screen?

However, workaholism comes with a heavy price tag: adverse effects on personal lives. There are of course enviable examples of the glamorous and successful people who have managed  to juggle their personal lives with the world of work very successfully. Such an individual is Helen Morrissey, who was featured in the March 2010 issue of Vogue, as the CEO of Newton Investment Management, “a business that employs 400 people and has a staggering £40 billion under management. Oh yes, and she has nine children at home.”

But there is no doubt that  many workaholics have made sacrifices of personal happiness and families, in order to get ahead in their working environment. Many high-flying politicians, barristers and  entrepreneurs have held back on settling-down and starting families, until it is too late.

Ultimately as the world changes and becomes increasingly corporate and globalised, there is more and more emphasis placed on working. Once more, we have to face the age-old  problem of finding the correct balance between work and play.