Do YOU ​​have an addiction to success? Expert reveals what drives you to burnout

There is little doubt that workplace burnout is increasing.

According to a recent Future Forum study, more than 40 percent of 10,000 people surveyed in six countries said they had reached their working limits.

While another study by 1,000 Deloitte respondents found that 77 percent suffered from burnout in their current job.

This stress can be from overbearing bosses or just too much workload, but for others it can also be from working extremely long hours addiction to success.

According to Emma Gannon, 33, a London-based journalist and author of six books, addiction to success can take many forms.

Many people spend much of their lives trying to be successful at work – and then realize that goal isn’t the only thing that matters (Image: Stock Image)

she says so It may be about achieving a certain level of wealth, achievement, or admiration—but more often than not, it’s about work.

It often starts with that People try to keep up to maintain productivity.

But then The initial positive productivity reward gives way to fear of failure.

Soon enough, work can crowd out relationships and other activities, leaving nothing but work, reinforcing a vicious circle.

Emma said: “During the pandemic, we became immersed in our work and post-pandemic, workplace burnout is rampant.”

“We wouldn’t go anywhere or meet friends.” Work was the only thing that gave us satisfaction, but we became addicted to it.

“People were doing Zooms and calling even when they were sick.” “Work just came first — and that’s a problem.”

Emma Gannon is a writer and podcaster who has reconsidered her meaning of success

Emma herself suffered from an addiction to success.

In her latest book, The Success Myth, Letting Go of Haveing ​​It All, she explains how worrying about not finding a job led to her becoming a workaholic in her 20s.

“I’m a classic millennial and I went into a recession because I was told I’d never get a job,” she explained.

“But then I managed to get a good job and I was so grateful for it.”

“My success has been about being the perfect version of myself, and working in an open plan office gave me an absolute high.”

In her early 30s, Emma became self-employed and was even more dependent on work and the idea of ​​success.

She recalled: “I was constantly busy, working day and night.

“Work was my whole life and my entire identity revolved around my job.”

Her outlook on success changed after a successful tour following her second book in 2018 – The Multi-Hyphen Method.

She said, “I had just given a talk to 2,000 people.” It was everything I ever dreamed of.

“I was chauffeured to the airport in a silent black car with immaculate black seats.

“I was entrepreneurial, glamorous, had Instagram followers, book deals and success.”

“But when I went back to my hotel room that night, I felt completely drained and incredibly alone.”

“I couldn’t remember the last time I saw a friend, remembered a birthday, or did something for myself outside of work.”

“I put my head in my hands and sobbed.”

Emma’s life now revolves around her values, she is surrounded by people who make her feel good and she has her own schedule.

She said, “I don’t even work that hard anymore.” It was a complete change.

“Now I’m much more interested in reading, writing, traveling and hanging out with my friends.”

Here, Femail brings Emma’s top tips on how to do it Avoid addiction to success.

1. Listen to your body

There is a lot of wisdom in our bodies, and in a Western culture we often ignore it, thinking that our minds are in charge. Our body processes so much more information than our brain. Therefore, it can give us clues, knowing that emotions are often stored in the body. Oftentimes, a minor health issue or physical symptom of anxiety can teach us something. Does your chest feel every time you say “yes” but mean “no”? Are you ignoring your body’s desire for some exercise? Do you feel restless after sitting at your laptop for too long? Tune in and see what your body is telling you.

2. Ask yourself a simple question

Get down to business and ask yourself, “What do I want?” Often we follow straight and narrow and climb a ladder just because everyone around us is. Then we look up and realize that we are not on the right path. When you know exactly what you want, you’re more likely to get it in the way that feels right. It could be more family time, it could be working a four day week, feeling more free, it could be more time gardening or working abroad. When you are clear about this, you can stop doing all the extra things that aren’t getting you there. So: “What do you actually want?”

3. Reconnect with your childhood

Children naturally reach for the things that bring them joy and fulfillment. Have you ever seen a child jump into a puddle for the first time? Pure joy and contentment – they don’t worry about what they’re going to do next week. When we’re addicted to success (or any other substance), we lose connection with a part of ourselves that desperately wants to be heard and understood. For an afternoon treat yourself as if you were your own child: wrap yourself in a blanket, watch Disney+, borrow a dog, write some journals.

4. Try a dopamine dressing

Being addicted to success can make us feel like we need to impress everyone around us by catching up on the latest trends, buying more, looking good, and feeling like we belong. Ditch the suit and start “dopamine dressing” instead – a mood-boosting fashion (choose bright, colorful, fun/patterned clothing) that releases dopamine, a chemical released in the brain and used for makes you feel good. It’s also said to make people feel more confident — and it can help with important decisions (like quitting a job or breaking up with someone).

5. Be aware of the “arrival error”.

The arrival fallacy, coined by psychology expert Tal Ben-Shahar, is the delusional notion that once we achieve a certain goal in life, we finally “arrive”. For example, “If I get married, I will be happy forever.” We know intellectually that’s not true, but we can fall into the trap at any time. Instead of thinking that you’re “happier” when you realize we’re always in the present moment, try to enjoy it as you go.

6. Focus on process goals instead of milestone goals

When working on a large project, we can often fantasize or overwhelm ourselves about the end goal. Process goals are about making the actual action the goal and not just focusing on the result. For example, if you’re working on a novel, a process goal is “I’ll write something 15 minutes a day,” while a milestone goal is “I’ll win an award for my great novel!” You’re more likely to achieve your process goals while doing so actually enjoy it.

7. inopeSelf-help gurus again

There are now apps that allow you to read books quickly and listen to podcasts at lightning speed. An addiction to courses, gurus, and self-help can often fuel the desire for success rather than learning to listen to ourselves and our gut instincts. Next time you go for a walk, why not leave your headphones at home and see if you can solve your own problem – it’s amazing what you find when you listen to yourself and not others.

8. Take each day separately

If we are addicted to success, we can live a lot in the future. Try to live each day and realize that this is your life – not some magical future, but right now. As author James Clear says, try to make your life just one percent better. You don’t have to plan the next five years perfectly, you just have to make today a little better for yourself and the significant people in your life. Small steps lead to big things.