The Downside Of Working Too Much
The role of a father is to provide for the family, and it is understandable that you would only want what’s suitable for your family. However, too much pressure and excessive aiming for the things you wish to have can be dangerous for you. It will eventually affect your relationship with the people around you, and it will ultimately eat you up when you least expect it.
“Stress happens. All families experience varying degrees of stress at different times and for different reasons,” said Katie Hurley, LCSW. “That said, it’s important to be aware of triggers of parental stress to address these and better cope, before it trickles down to the kids.”
The Workaholic Dad
Though there is a substantial reason for becoming a workaholic dad, there is also an implication of distraught that it can bring in to the family. Working too much will hinder you from understanding the real needs of your family.
According to Peggy Drexler, PhD, “There have also been studies looking at the impact of workaholic parents on their children and the news isn’t good. In one study, adult children of workaholic fathers experienced more depression and anxiety and a weaker sense of self.”
Though financial stability is okay, you might encounter relationship problems with your wife and kids due to the stress that your job is giving you. You will never notice how these stressful tasks create a gap between your life, relationships with friends and family, daddy duties and responsibilities, as well as a time for yourself.
You’ll Forget The Reason Why You’re Working – Focusing on your job will not only create a distance from the persons you love, but it will also make you forget how much they mean to you. You will eventually feel pressured and wouldn’t want distractions from any source, and this includes your family. You’ll finally make a lot of effort in dealing with your job rather than giving them importance.
You’ll Never Be Satisfied – Dealing with a lot of stressors in your workplace can give you a sense of eagerness to fulfill the task in a way that you won’t feel exhausted. Therefore, the impatience that you have will turn into something that will make you crave for more. You will want to set unlimited goals after previously reaching one and it will never stop you from doing it all over again.
You’ll Be Alone – It’s safe to say that working too hard has some beneficial aspects and might be useful in the future. However, focusing too much on the future will make you regret not dealing with the present. You will feel tired and worried all the time that will sooner or later make you feel sad and alone.
You’ll Miss Out All The Fun – Spending quality time with your family will no longer be part of your routine because you will be too focused on what to do with your job. You might even miss out birthdays, anniversaries, family gatherings, several celebrations, and more. It will create a relationship problem that you might not be able to handle.
Erlanger A. Turner, PhD, emphasized the quality time you spend with your family. He wrote, “Find ways to do enjoyable activities with you and your family. By spending more quality time together, it improves the parent-child relationship.”
You’ll Never Be Happy – Aside from dealing with your stressors and job duties, all you can think of is what your job can do for you. You will never experience complete happiness because you only give time to the things that don’t matter at all.
There are certain things in life that you should be thankful for instead of wasting too much time working. A good family provider is an asset, but you have to make sure that you don’t value your job too much so you can still keep the attachment you have with your family.