Workaholics' Day (05/07)

On July 5, people celebrate their holiday, completely absorbed in work and ready to sacrifice a lot for the sake of their profession. This is Workaholics Day. It traces its history back to the United States and is known in many countries today.

It can be considered their «professional» holiday by people who put work and career above family, friends, loved ones, who prefer to « live at work», sometimes forgetting about the simplest human joys.

Workaholism refers to a person’s desire to work excessively, which goes beyond the framework of natural hard work. This term is applied (by analogy with alcoholism, only from the word – work) to people who have a painful psychological «work dependence», who perceive work as the only means of self-realization. Therefore, people who show this quality are called workaholics. And a workaholic – is already a diagnosis. The term workaholic itself came into use after the publication of the book by American psychologist Wayne Edward Oates «Confessions of a Workaholic» in 1971.

There is a misconception that a workaholic – is executive, trouble-free, responsible worker – is a godsend for the boss. But it is important to remember that workaholism – is a form of addiction, and overtime, sleepless nights and giving up rest and days off lead to neuroses, inattention, nervous system disorders and illness. And work ceases to bring benefit and satisfaction.

It is important to remember that a balance between work and leisure is necessary for a person’s physical and mental health (Photo: stockasso, licensed by depositphotos.com)

However, for the sake of justice, it is worth saying that workaholism can be creative. A scientist, composer, artist, writer, surgeon, creator of his own business, etc., as a rule, completely devote himself to his work. Without such dedication, it is difficult to create something truly great. Such people are said to have found their calling. But for such people, their profession – is not exhausting work and hard labor, but creativity and « favorite brainchild» (no matter how difficult the work is).

It is still important to remember that the balance between work and leisure is essential for a person's physical and mental health. Therefore, Workaholic Day was created to raise public awareness of the negative consequences of workaholism, and to encourage workaholics themselves to change their lifestyle. The motive for the day was the words – a person works to live, and not vice versa.

If there is such a person around you, take the initiative into your own hands – give him a day off with a trip to nature and a picnic, going to the cinema or exhibition, a party with friends, or just a pleasant pastime. If you yourself are a workaholic, find the strength and arrange a vacation of any format not related to your profession in order to reassess your life and see many new interesting moments and people in it.



• Infographics – poster «5 July – Workaholics' Day» • Story «Workaholic – it... It's hard»

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