Dealing with Work Guilt: Getting Over the Compulsion to Force Productivity

For the longest time, I thought it was my own feelings of inadequacy that kept me late in the office. Many times I would watch the clock tick past the time I was supposed to go home, yet I'd still be there, working away, trying to get that last little bit of work done before I called it quits. Sometimes I'd get the feeling that were I to leave at the designated time, I'd be looked upon unfavorably by the boss for "slacking." Most recently, I actually ended up stating my intentions to leave "on time," a statement which got a few laughs but in which I was completely serious.

Come to find out, it's not just me. In the March 2007 issue of "Fast Company," Joe Robinson takes a look at the phenomenon he refers to as "obsessive-compulsive productivity" (Robinson, Joe. "On the Hot Seat: Fighting 'obsessive-compulsive productivity"." Fast Company Mar. 2007: 54). According to Robinson, many workers feel guilty, not only when they leave the office at a reasonable time, but when they want to cut their hours or take a vacation.

High productivity is the demanded norm in today's work world. It's not surprising that someone who feels they can't catch up (or keep up) with it would feel a bit guilty over not putting in a few extra hours every day. Unfortunately, people are letting this feeling overwhelm then. Robinson believes that each person can control their own guilt and that steps should be taken psychologically to avoid the OCP cycle. "The antidote to guilt is choice. You have the power to eliminate or moderate the indictments you perceive when you choose to finish the work tomorrow because it can wait and life can't, or when you say no to all-night demands" (Robinson, 2007).

Robinson makes a good point, but some workers may find the task of taking control a bit too daunting. I'll freely admit that I'm one of them, having put more emphasis on what I can do for the boss than saving my own sanity. While the self control aspect has become easier over the years, I've also found a few tricks that help ease the guilt and still keep me in good standing with myself, my co-workers, and my bosses.