Monday September 29, 2014
By NATASYA ILYA ONG
editor@mystarjob.com
There is a huge difference between a hardworking employee and a workaholic.
Workaholics bring a whole new meaning to the word “work”. It is not something that you just suddenly turn into one day. Most working folk don’t even realise the gradual descent they take in becoming a workaholic, or that they are slowly turning into one.
Taking days off to de-stress, going on holidays, family vacations, are all very alien concepts to a workaholic. Most of their lives (if not all), revolve around their jobs, their bosses, and their work crises.
Are you one of them? Or are you slowly turning into one? Sometimes, being caught up in it all, it may be hard for you to even notice. Well, do not fret! Here are 10 signs we’ve compiled that show you’re becoming a fully-loaded working machine.
1. Your work comes first.
You tend to skip more family functions for work and even use it as an excuse because you would rather be in the office finishing your work. You hear yourself saying “don’t worry, we can spend more time after I’m done,” but that day never comes. Before you know it, people get tired of asking you out because they already know the answer.
2. You talk about work all the time!
You talk about work in the office and you talk about work outside the office. Your life practically revolves around your work - nothing else seems interesting enough. Work seems to be the only topic you can think of to start a conversation.
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3. You would be the first to arrive at work but the last to leave.
While everyone else is trying to leave as early as they can on a Friday night, you, on the other hand, are still in your office working till the wee hours of the night. There is more to life outside the office, my friend!
4. You find it difficult to relax when you are not working.
Even when you finally have time for yourself, you can’t seem to relax. Your mind would always be on work. “Has the venue been booked for the conference?” “Did I miss out anything important in my report?” Your mind is constantly on a whirlwind about work. Even when you have finished your work, you’re still longing to chase the next big thing.
5. You are a boss pleaser.
You just can’t seem to say “no” to your boss no matter how much workload they throw at you. You just suck it up and take it anyways. In school, there was the teacher’s pet, well now in the office, you are the boss’ pet.
6. You bring work home most of the time.
Sometimes when you still have so much work to do, you bring your work home. Most people would just leave it for the next day but oh, not you. For you, it has to be done that day itself! Your house would be filled with tons of files and paperwork from work.
7. You are constantly on your phone and laptop checking your mail for work updates.
You bring your phone or laptop everywhere! Your gadgets would always be by your side for you to have easy access to your mail so you don’t miss any updates from your clients or bosses. Even if there is none, you still check it every 5 minutes. Sometimes, you feel your phone vibrating, when in actual fact, it is idle.
8. Your personal life is slowly going downhill.
There’s no doubt about it that when you focus too much on work, you tend to neglect your personal life. You tend to get into a fight with your spouse or partner more often than usual over petty things. When it comes to your friends, you tend to interact less with them because you just don’t have the time. Sometimes, you swear, even your beloved pet doesn’t recognise you anymore!
9. You constantly want to take control of your work.
Taking control of your work is a good thing. However, when you take too much control, work starts taking control of you instead! You find it tough to delegate work among your colleagues and end up working longer hours because of your need to control every detail.
10. You have constant mood swings.
Your mood tends to fluctuate a lot especially when you are not at work. You come home with a black cloud over your head, feeling stressed and tired, you lose your patience more often, and have a bad temper. Basically, your emotions are always on a rollercoaster.
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