Karoshi, or death of a manager

Karōshi is not a medical condition or even an official medical term. The word simply means death resulting from overwork and chronic stress. Naturally, the immediate cause of death is most often advanced cardiovascular disease: a mixture of hypertension and atherosclerosis with overwork and chronic stress creates a deadly combination. Of course, Poland is not yet a second Japan, however, it is worth noting the fact that in our professional lives, we are heading exactly in that direction. Not only "business sharks" – owners, CEOs, or board members, but also – or perhaps above all – middle management are the groups most exposed to intense stress and overwork.

Work, work, work

In the "pre-internet" and "pre-cellphone" era, work stayed at work – at home, there was home. Such a system applied to most professional groups. The end of work meant its actual end, not its transfer to the private, home sphere. Nowadays, most people are at work almost non-stop. If not in body, then in spirit.

We are available via email, available by phone; we strive to be on call at all times. This is because it makes us appear professional, responsible, and engaged. We do not refuse for fear of losing a commission, trust, or an opportunity to shine. This also builds in us at the beginning a – how false – sense of "importance". No one else can handle this – only me. The responsibility rests on me. Only I can manage this; no one else could have been entrusted with such a task. XY couldn't care less and is playing tennis at 5:00 PM, but I am serious / responsible / more ambitious – I will get it done. And so, we trudge on.

We trudge into overwork, being overloaded with tasks, and the stress associated with their completion. We start working after hours – at the expense of free time, family, friends, and sleep. And when we sleep, we dream of work. And suddenly – it’s there. We have cultivated a true workaholism. Quite unintentionally and as if by the way. But we can no longer "detach" ourselves from the computer screen or put down the phone after 5:00 PM.

The strongest stress appears during vacation – if our duties even allow us to take one. During vacation, the family expects active participation in holidaying, and the workaholic – well. He is at work even more than usual. He is more stressed than usual. Added to the above picture are poor diet, lack of exercise, or stimulants that soothe the "pain of existence," help release tension, or provide an energetic kick when the body can no longer cope. Does this seem heavily exaggerated? A mistake. In reality, it is all much more complicated, serious, and overwhelming. In reality, many people do not realize how much work-related stress affects their health. Only when they get a warning in the form of a faint, a stomach ulcer attack, or a heart attack do they realize the gravity of the problem. Others do not have the chance to realize anything anymore.

Work-life balance

The concept of work-life balance, meaning maintaining an equilibrium between professional and private life, was born at the turn of the 70s and 80s in response to the emergence of such social problems as workaholism or professional burnout. What should such a balanced system look like? The answer to this question is to some extent provided by the article "10 Commandments of Work-Life Balance" by Beata Borucka, posted on the portal www.hrnews.pl: "

1. In everything I do, I maintain moderation and common sense

2. I respect and listen to the feelings of my loved ones
3. I talk about work at home
4. I keep the promises I make to my loved ones
5. Home and loved ones are important to me even during work hours
6. I devote as much time to work as my loved ones accept
7. Business trips are a part of my work
8. At home, I only have work conversations that are worth it
9. At work, I have private conversations, while maintaining moderation
10. I devote time on days off to work when the situation requires it

Unfortunately, although the assumptions of WLB are extremely clear in theory – in practice, we still find them difficult to implement. Proper time balancing when we are swamped with work – and a day still only has 24 hours – is a difficult art. An art impossible to master if our mind is still stressed…

Small steps

An old proverb says that Rome wasn't built in a day. We will not achieve balance immediately either – it should be done in small steps. Where to start? Naturally, by mastering the chaos – that is, by taking control of stress and learning to manage it. Only then, with a calm mind, will we be able to start gradually implementing changes in our lives..

PS.

It is estimated that annually, about 10,000 Japanese people die as a result of overwork and chronic stress.
Cases of karōshi occur all over the world – including in Poland, although they are most often not diagnosed as such or, if they are all too obvious, are "swept under the rug."

Sources: Wikipedia, polki.pl, obserwatorpolityczny.pl, infopraca.pl, hrnews.pl, kadry.abc.com.pl., studies by Casada International GmbH,