Achievement Addiction Can Be Blinding: Learn Some Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy Success
Panic attacks can impact a person’s quality of life. For many years, they can be part of a person’s employment experience, pushing themselves to achieve at increasingly higher levels while never fully finding their footing at work. Achievement addiction pushes people beyond their abilities and keeps them striving for a moving target. The only way to enjoy success is to slow down and learn to enjoy it. Find some tips on dealing with achievement addiction and how to move beyond it to enjoy work again.
Working Harder for Less
Achievement addiction can drive a person both psychologically and physically. The physical drive is mostly related to health challenges like weight loss, lack of sleep, high blood pressure, and other manifestations of overworking. The psychological challenges come from less visible signs and symptoms, including jealousy, envy, and chronic worrying. A person who is higher achieving is someone who is not afraid to go after what they want, but they may not know when to quit and keep going until it hits an extreme point. Addiction is identified with people who are searching for achievement that may stunt their growth and restrain them from achieving anything at all. No form of addiction is good and, no matter what is attached to it, can create chaos in their lives.
Lack of Gratitude
One of the things that may happen when someone works hard and pushes themselves at work is they lack focus on gratitude. They are too focused on work to see all the blessings from the work they have achieved thus far. There are many things to be thankful for, but it can get clouded over when a person has an addiction and is focused on striving to hit that goal, and only that goal, without thinking of others. Being a person of gratitude means having thankfulness for where they are on the journey at that moment. It is easy to let that slip away when focused too heavily on work, aspiring to the next goal, and reaching for things they want.
Slowing Down
The key to slowing down is to recognize the behavior. For severe workaholism, it may take a rehab place to help someone who cannot stop working or achievement and goal-oriented thinking. This may lend itself to other mental health or addiction issues, so rehab can be a good option. Some ways to look at slowing down the achievement mindset can include:
- Recognizing there is no way to get to the ‘top.’ This is a myth that working harder will get a person farther. There is only so far a person can go in life and their career. In the end, everyone has to decide how to live their best life now. That means focusing on slowing down enough to rest and be healthy
- Eat well and exercise
- Seek help for other addictions and mental health challenges that may drive the reasons behind achievement-oriented thinking
- Be conscious of setting goals with the recognition it is merely a goal, not necessarily an end-all, be all
- Take time for family, friends, and loved ones
- Get out in nature
- Journal
- Meditate
The painful reality is that addiction of any kind is hard on people. It is hard on themselves and their loved ones. The key is to find ways of slowing down and resting. People who are highly driven find this difficult. For those who cannot stop on their own, they can seek help from professionals who offer counseling, therapy, and even medication that will help an individual who leans towards overworking.
Contact Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center Today
The Palmetto Center works with professionals who struggle with addiction to work and other things. We help you regain a sense of balance in your life. Our program provides a special focus for professionals including chiropractors, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and more who need help with addiction recovery. Call us to find out more: 866-848-3001.