Behavior: Work Guilt, That Constant Nag to Be Productive 24/7

Americans have a tendency to live for work, while Europeans work to live. This living for work can make work your life, and create tremendous stress on anything that is not work that you try to incorporate into your life — like a husband, a wife, children or a golf game. At the very least.

People most susceptible to work guilt are:

* Freelancers

* Telecommuters

* Anyone not on a salary who works for a percentage of their sales or income

* Anyone on a salary who gets a bonus based on their percentage sales or income

* Anyone in a job that is not secure — whether due to an uncertain economic time, industry, company or performance ability

* Anyone with an addictive tendency who uses work to avoid feeling

* Anyone with an unstable personal life who uses work to avoid going home

Work guilt definitely interferes with personal lives. In fact, pretty much everyone in America who works, has trouble incorporating their personal and their work lives because it is possible here to have so much if you work hard. And people here want a lot. The idea that a person can have a lot more than his or her parents had, is a motivator to make people work…and work…and work…

Work guilt is counter productive — or damaging — when an employee starts producing less because they are so tormented by their feelings of guilt. When the feelings impede work and/or personal relationships, then there’s a problem that needs adjustment.