Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, D on your answer sheet to indicate the bes answer to each of the following questions from 31 to 40.
Reza Jafery has been working very hard since 1st grade. [I] Whenever he was assigned homework, he would head straight for the library and would finish it all before going home. [II] However, he was not driven by a love of learning, but by a feeling of anxiety if he didn't have a goal to accomplish. [III] "I felt I had to reach particular milestones by a certain age or else I wasn't successful," says 27-year-old Jafery. [IV]
According to Dr. Sandra Chapman at the University of Texas at Dallas, the brain can become addicted to productivity just as it can to more familiar sources of addiction like drugs, gambling, eating or shopping. "A person might crave the recognition their work gives them, or the salary increases they get," says Chapman. However, what makes addiction to productivity more complicated is the fact that society tends to extol it. "It's seen as a good thing: the more you work, the better," says Chapman. "Many people don't realise the harm it causes until a divorce occurs and a family is broken apart, or until they feel the toll it takes on mental health."
Like all addicts, 'productivity junkies' are overly focused on a single aspect of their life. The constant compulsion to be productive overrides other potential sources of pleasure, such as spending time with loved ones. According to a paper by Shahram Heshmat, an associate professor at the University of Illinois; "This desire is presumably so strong that no other motives can realistically compete." For Matthew Church, who describes himself as a 'recovering productivity addict', his family and romantic life came second to his work for six years. "I wasted six years of my life because I didn't have friends or romantic experiences and I lost my connection with my family. I felt a sense of shame about not having built those things up."
According to Griffiths, no matter how productive a 'junkie' considers themselves, there will come a point when their performance suffers and the effects become potentially life threatening. Therefore, acknowledging the warning signs and taking steps to address them is essential. Dr. Chapman recommends creating a 'not-to-do list' to avoid overscheduling, and giving the brain essential opportunities for relaxation to boost its performance. In a 2019 study of writers, a fifth of their most significant and creative ideas were formed during periods of 'mind wandering', or, in other words, when they are engaged in activities other than work.
And as for sacrificing connections for work? The brain thrives on fun, laughter and meaningful relationships so Chapman's advice is to make room for them no matter what. "At the end of people's lives, they don't wish they'd worked longer hours. They wish they'd spent more time with family or enjoyed the travel they got to do, but were never mentally present because they were checking their phone."
(Adapted from bbc.com)
