They say that each era has its illness, this century with its obsession with money, adoration of materialism, individualism, and self-demand already has its own: sisyphemia. José Manuel Vicente, director of the Chair of Expert Evaluative Medicine at the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), one of the most prestigious educational institutions in Spain, is responsible for identifying and naming what is, for doctors and sociologists, the disease of our times.
Excessive work, burnout due to stress, physical and mental fatigue accumulated by the demands of the work day plus the obsession, derived from ambition, self-demand, and perfectionism, of wanting to do everything well in the work environment, would be part of their symptoms.
Where does the name “Sisyphemia” come from?
As if it were a joke, or to give a touch of humor to this modern workplace tragedy, José Manuel Vicente has been inspired by the Greek myth of Sisyphus. Yes, that poor man condemned by the gods to climb a rock to the top of a mountain over and over again. A cyclical, inevitable punishment, without an obvious and inexplicable objective, like work. But let’s see, don’t we sometimes put that demand on ourselves with unattainable goals, unrealizable objectives, and materialistic obsessions beyond our possibilities?
Therein lies the magic of Dr Vicente’s analysis:
“Sysphemia is a health disorder derived from the mental and physical exhaustion of an employee who is forced to respond to unattainable objectives, either because the management of his company sets them, or because he sets them for himself. He has an excessive workload that he insists and strives to fulfill, but he never manages to complete despite doing as much as possible,” the Spanish scientist and doctor said in an interview for El País.
“There is no punishment more terrible than useless and meaningless work,” reflected the French existentialist Albert Camus on the myth of Sisyphus, a Nobel Prize winner who, before rising to fame, carried out a modest job as a bureaucrat with frustration. You will know something about the subject.
How do I know if I have a predisposition to “Sisyphemia”?
According to Vicente and his research, sisyphemia is increasingly seen among patients of all ages. Its main symptom, he notes, is the “inability to distance oneself from work on rest days or free hours. The patient lengthens his work days and cannot disconnect from responsibilities. “He doesn’t sleep well, he reduces his leisure and his social circle solely to the work environment.” An obsession that leads to chronic mental and physical fatigue.
Symptoms:
- Anxiety, anguish, depressive symptoms.
- Sleep disorders.
- Cardiac symptoms: heart attacks, heart rhythm disorders, blood pressure increases that may be permanent, with sustained hypertensive symptoms.
- Migraines, cerebral infarctions.
And the most vulnerable professions?
According to studies, sisyfemia does not affect all professions equally, nor do all people have the same risk of falling into this loop. Doctors, financial consultants, auditors, large law firms, and social services. “And, on a personal level, people with a high sense of responsibility, very self-demanding.
“People with a great tendency towards perfection and with great responsibilities. But also young people and interns, who are part of a sector that is routinely beaten or exploited, and who are often poorly paid.”
And how to avoid it?
“We must be clear,” concludes Vicente, “that work has its time and that living is living for something more than working. The care and maintenance of good mental health of workers is closely linked to a good preventive culture,” concludes Vicente. In short, do not “marry your work” as we would say colloquially.
Tips to combat it:
- Maintain an exercise routine, walking a little is enough
- Eat as healthy as you can, fresh and seasonal products
- Don’t you have a hobby? Find one, no matter what, whatever is keeping you away from work.
- Do not neglect your family and friendship relationships, and do not close your social circle to your co-workers.
This story was written in Spanish by Aurelio Vargas in Ecoosfera
