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Telegraph
18 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
‘I felt so much pressure to earn more, I became addicted to work'
At the height of his work addiction, Tony Marini estimates he was clocking in at least 100 hours a week. 'I would work constantly,' he says of his role in hospitality. 'From early morning to late night, I would do six days a week at least, and sometimes seven.' On leaving school, Marini entered the catering industry, going on to own his first restaurant at the age of 25. As further restaurant openings followed – his own, and those he helped launch for other companies – his working patterns became increasingly unhealthy. 'Everything was about work, work, work to make money – because in my head, if I had money, I had everything,' Marini, now 59, says. His was a classic case of work addiction – a term first coined in 1971 by Wayne Oates, an American psychologist, who described the condition as an 'uncontrollable need to work incessantly'. It's often used flippantly and interchangeably with 'burnout', but it's increasingly being recognised as a serious dependency akin to any other. Burnout, while often linked to workaholism, is 'quite different', explains Dr Mike Drayton, a clinical psychologist and leadership coach at Said Business School, University of Oxford. He describes it as 'when you hit the wall', while workaholism is 'a compulsive need to work, even when it's damaging your health, relationships and happiness'. James Graham, the playwright, spoke last year of his own compulsion to work, saying he found it 'in no way different really from [addictions to] drink or drugs or sex, or anything else – it's a pattern of behaviour that is slowly sort of killing you'. Actor Idris Elba also revealed a tendency towards workaholism in 2023, which he said he was 'in therapy' to address. The problem is, unlike other compulsive habits, workaholism is one that society actively applauds. This 'growing moralisation of work [is] amplified by social media', says Jan Gerber, chief executive at Paracelsus Recovery rehab clinic in Zurich. 'Hustle culture equates overwork with virtue, turning constant productivity into a performance of dedication and, ultimately, superiority.' A common theme among sufferers is feeling torn, Drayton explains: 'Part of them wants to keep going, because work gives them meaning and identity. But another part resents it, because it's draining them. That inner tug-of-war is what keeps so many high achievers stuck in the cycle of overwork and collapse.' For Marini, his workaholism led to, and was compounded by, other addictive habits. 'I would take cocaine to be up all the time, and I thought it made me more efficient,' he says. He began gambling, too – 'everything for me went hand in hand'. His addictions were expensive – over 25 years, he estimates they cost him several million – intensifying his need to keep putting in the hours. 'I was actually quite successful,' Marini says, 'but taking cocaine and gambling took all of that money away.' When Marini's wife threw him out, he started attending Gamblers Anonymous, then Cocaine Anonymous, before finding Workaholics Anonymous (WA), which follows the same 12-step programme as its alcohol and drug-related predecessors. Through these programmes, leaving the hospitality industry and retraining as a therapist (he now works at rehab clinic Castle Craig, in southern Scotland), Marini has seen numerous cases of addiction come through his doors – and workaholism often features. 'You're driven by a compulsion to work, to prove yourself' The number of people being diagnosed as workaholics is on the rise – at Paracelsus, referrals for workaholism-related burnout and substance abuse issues have doubled in the past two years. However, it can take sufferers a long time to realise there's a problem. This was the case for Liz Mulvey*, a former journalist who spent a decade trying to scale the career ladder at any cost. Business trips without a spare second to get over jet lag; long nights in the office, dawn starts and barely eating between shifts – all of these were par for the course. 'If you are a workaholic, you don't even think about your need for rest or sleep or recuperation,' she says. 'You will work late into the night – or through the night – and you'll go back the next morning and you'll carry on working because you're driven by a compulsion to work, a compulsion to prove yourself.' Work-life balance, she says, was simply not an option. While 24-hour email access and the rise in working from home have left many employees feeling unable to switch off, Mulvey, now 54, is one of many for whom internal pressures – rather than that from her bosses – were driving the problem. Drayton, who has written several books on burnout, says this is increasingly common. 'A lot of people, especially those who are naturally conscientious and eager to please, have tied their whole self-worth to their job. They drive themselves harder not because the boss demands it, but because they demand it of themselves. That's why the problem has deepened.' Workaholics typically don't realise how fundamentally they have allowed their jobs to take over their lives, largely because they are working too hard to notice. Add the common financial fears that can fuel workaholic behaviour – soaring mortgage repayments, bills and so on – and it can feel as though there is no escape, Mulvey says. 'I couldn't see a way out,' she recalls, having been living alone and single-handedly trying to pay her mounting costs. Gerber says the current financial climate has exacerbated these fears – and the resultant workaholism – among his clients. 'We are living through a period of real economic turbulence... For our clients, whose self-esteem is closely tied to work, this often means doubling down – working longer hours to protect their [financial] position and manage the anxiety that instability provokes,' he says. But wealth does not necessarily protect people from money-related anxiety, he explains: 'In fact, it often amplifies it.' For Mulvey, the breaking point came in her late 30s, when her father died. 'I didn't allow myself time to grieve,' she says, as work was too busy. A friend noticed she wasn't coping, and after visiting the doctor, Mulvey was signed off work for three months. However, once that period ended, she returned to the office full-pelt – but it didn't last long. '[I realised] I couldn't do this any more... I couldn't do this amount of work and be well,' she says. As a result, Mulvey quit her job and began attending Workaholics Anonymous. The supportive community, and a career switch to coaching and speaking, has allowed her to recover. She is now married, exercises for pleasure (rather than 'punishment' – another by-product of her compulsive working period), and realises that her health is more important than any job. Now on the other side, she says she finally sees that 'the world isn't going to end if I can't send this email today'.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Review: Dear England at the Lowry is a witty masterclass in the good, bad, and the ugly of English football
I distinctly remember where I was when England lost to Italy in the final of the 2021 Euros, breaking hearts across the country. Covering the game for the Manchester Evening News from the big screen in Crown Square, I watched as the anticipation turned to jubilation, then turned bitter. Within minutes, the 11 men on the pitch had gone from national heroes to masters of misery, and the nastiest side of football was laid bare. Because let's face it, sometimes the beautiful game isn't so beautiful. It's something Dear England confronts audiences with right from the start, when you are forced to relive Gareth Southgate's agonising 1996 penalty miss as Southgate, played by Gwilym Lee, watches on. The pain is palpable. READ MORE: 'I rewatch the Twilight films every year and one character gets creepier each time' READ MORE: The pretty village an hour from Manchester with a lakeside café, cobbled streets and three pubs The Olivier Award-winning play by James Graham is beginning a four-week long stint at The Lowry in Salford, bringing the England camp outside of London for the first time. Set over Gareth Southgate's managerial stint of the Three Lions, the play addresses so much more than football, telling the story of an occasionally united, often divided England that feels entitled to glory and stuck on the questions - what does it mean to play for England? And what is it to be English? These are questions with no right answer, but it's a conversation Dear England is willing to have. The play is in many ways the behind the scenes story of how Southgate, with the help of psychologist Dr Pippa Grange (played by Liz White), managed to take a group of unruly, directionless, scared players and help them become one of the most successful England teams of all time. But that story is only partly one of football. It is one of identity, fear, and belonging. The cast play a collection of familiar faces - Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Harry Maguire, Jordan Pickford - all represented through genuinely funny (and largely very accurate) caricatures of themselves. Harry Kane is kind but monotonous, Bukayo Saka has his familiar boyish charm, Raheem Sterling his swaggering confidence, and Josh Barrow masters Jordan Pickford's 'absolute insanity', as my partner put it. Graham isn't afraid to poke fun at senior FA figures such as Greg Dyke and Greg Clarke as archaic, results-driven dinosaurs; "You don't have to be called Greg to work at the FA, but it does help," one chortles to the other as they hand over the top job. Similarly Theresa May and Boris Johnson make short and exaggerated appearances as hilariously recognisable caricatures. This is a production that plays on the humour of real people, and my god does it work. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE It's a simply but stunningly staged show, making use of a simple black backdrop, stadium-style lighting, and atmospheric football soundbites to brilliant effect. Unbelievable effort has been put in to mastering each person's likeness - even their celebration poses are instantly recognisable from newspaper front pages. And while much of the humour of the play does come from these exaggerated versions of real and recognisable people, I don't think you need to be a football expert to find Dear England a brilliant watch. You just need to be interested in the big question - what does it mean to be English? As the team navigate the highs and lows of international tournaments, they are guided by their backroom staff, who represent both the good and bad of the old-school football Southgate is trying to leave behind. In one amusing, but equally poignant moment, the team embrace Southgate in a group hug as the backroom staff watch on, eventually accepting to each other's hands. It starkly lays out much of the outdated, toxic masculinity that is pervasive in football, gently poking fun while addressing a culture that has put so many off a game that should be for everyone. Because it is this toxicity that, as a country, we can't seem to separate from the game we all love. It's the sad reality pointed out in the letter Southgate penned to England fans before those painful 2021 Euros, which is the namesake of the play. Dear England, he wrote. Of course, my players and I will be judged on winning matches. Only one team can win the Euros. We have never done it before and we are desperate to do it for the first time. But, the reality is that the result is just a small part of it. When England play, there's much more at stake than that. It's about how we conduct ourselves on and off the pitch, how we bring people together, how we inspire and unite, how we create memories that last beyond the 90 minutes. That last beyond the summer. That last forever. In that letter, Gareth Southgate asked England fans what was at stake for them when England play. Dear England is a compelling imagination of what that same journey looks like for the players who bear the burden - and enjoy the honour - of a nation's hopes on their shoulders.
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Maybe you're the problem': Brandon Smith savages Broncos players
Brandon Smith said if any players are complaining about Michael Maguire's 'intense' style they may be the 'problem', not the Broncos coach. Maguire's coaching philosophy has been a topic of conversation in the NRL for a number of years now, with Brisbane's latest form slump leaving some to question whether he needs to change his ways. The Daily Telegraph's Paul Crawley said on NRL 360 on Tuesday night that Maguire 'has to change' but Smith, who played under the former Tigers and Rabbitohs coach as a New Zealand M�ori representative, pushed back on that. Speaking on James Graham's 'The Bye Round' podcast, Smith was asked to draw on his experiences with Maguire as a coach and admitted even he had 'issues' with his approach. 'It's a tough one. I also had the issues with Madge and other players had issues with Madge,' Smith said, adding there were 'personality clashes' and that the difficulty of training was a particular sore point for some players. That was especially true, Smith explained, given the nature of Kiwis camp under previous coaches. 'But when you're in Kiwis it's different. You feel like a tour, it's different to being in an NRL team with a full-time coach and they were hard trainings compared to our other tours,' Smith said. While it may have been difficult at first, Smith went on to explain that once some of the resistant players came to embrace Maguire's style they started to see success on the field. 'I feel like once we got over the time under Madge, once I and other players got over that and bought into what he was trying to do with us and really bit the bullet and did everything, no complaints, that's when we started to elevate as a team,' Smith said. 'Maybe that's what needs to go on at the Broncos. Maybe a few of them haven't bought into what Madge is about and instead of seeing what the benefits are you're looking at the negative side of things and that happens in every rugby league team. 'Say you're training a long day, you're upset at the coach for that and then you grow this little bit of resentment towards the coach. That happened with me with Madge at the Kiwis. 'It was hard until you grow that little bit but once you finally f***ing go, 'I'm actually getting paid well to do this... it's not that hard that I'm going to die. It's just hard compared to what the norm was'. I reckon that's exactly what's going on at the Broncos. But that's just my opinion and I feel like not all of them have bought into what he's about.' Broncos legend Gorden Tallis said on Tuesday night that if anyone should be under pressure for the club's inconsistent start to the season it should be the people who hired Maguire, although there has been plenty of scrutiny on the Brisbane coach too. But Smith said the blame should squarely be on any dissenting players. 'I'm going to put it on the players. You're complaining about what your coach is teaching you,' Smith said. 'He's your f***ing coach. He's your coach for a reason. You've got to buy into what his system is. 'If you've got half the people buying in and half the people not, your team's not going to function properly... I don't know if this is going on but I'm speaking from experience. 'You've got half the team complaining about him and you've got half the team really excited they've got a new coach that wants to win.' And if there is one thing Maguire wants to do, according to Smith, it is win. 'If (there's) anything that Madge is, he's a f***ing competitor,' the Rabbitohs hooker said. 'He hates losing. He's a hard bastard, he's an intense man but at the end of the day, his goal aligns with your goal in winning games... his method of winning games is taking the hard route and if you're not buying into that hard route, you're not with the team. You're not being team mentality.' Smith said that Kiwis training sessions would be 'longer' than normal, typically running between two and two-and-a-half hours, adding that they were also 'way more physical'. That included the captain's run, which Smith also said was 'harder and longer than normal'. 'Everything is tailored for you to be hard,' he added. '... He wants people to man up and some people don't. I'll be honest, I probably don't sometimes. 'I don't think he's doing that at the Broncos. I think this is a special set of circumstances.' Phil Rothfield reported last week that some players held concerns regarding Maguire's training methods, with Martin Taupau granted an early release after he 'liked' an Instagram post criticising the Broncos coach. While it is unclear how many more unhappy players there may be, Smith had a simple message for anyone who didn't agree with Maguire's ways. 'Coming from where I've come from, I can't fathom that. Players, we shouldn't have any say on what the coach does... if you're speaking up about that maybe you're the problem,' he said. 'That's how I feel. I would never, ever in my wildest dreams imagine anyone at Melbourne or anyone at Roosters or anyone at the Bunnies right now having a voice or an opinion in who's coaching the side. That's not up to you and that just tells me a lot. These are all spectacles but we're playing for the team. '... If this is what they're going through and they do shift that mentality they will flourish.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
British TV's Working-Class Problem: Nearly A Quarter Of Top Execs Went To Private School, Report Finds
Nearly a quarter (22%) of top execs in the UK TV industry went to private school, according to research sparked by Sherwood creator James Graham's MacTaggart lecture. The figure is triple that of the roughly 7.5% of people in the country who went to a fee-paying school and is a stark reminder of the inequalities in British TV, a traditionally middle-class field. More from Deadline Breaking Baz: 'Punch', The Must-See New Play By James Graham, Will Transfer To London's West End While A Production Plays On Broadway Warner Bros. Discovery Drops Diversity & Equity Language Amid DEI Rollbacks - "Our Overarching Work In This Space Will Now Be Referred To As Inclusion" Disney Overhauls DEI Efforts Amid Trump Administration Purge The report titled Let's Talk About Class: Appealing to the UK's largest TV audience was commissioned after Graham's Edinburgh TV Festival MacTaggart lecture during which he argued passionately for greater working-class representation in the British TV industry. At the time, research had found just 8% of people working in television were from a working-class background, which was a 12-year low despite multiple recent interventions to try and improve the situation. The Let's Talk About Class report was less damning with its overall numbers, finding that 29% of those in TV come from a working-class background compared to the 39% across the UK. A person's class background was defined by the occupation of their main household earner when they were a teenager. Today's report from a class and social equality working group including broadcaster Carol Vorderman, presenter David Olusoga and Banijay UK Boss Patrick Holland, analyzed people in leadership roles across 21 of the UK's major broadcasters, streamers and large production companies. The report's compilers asked for data about the education background of senior level staff while speaking with experts and academics for anecdotal and evidence-based insight. The report argues that working class audiences are TV's largest potential audience, yet they feel underserved and their lives either represented by outdated tropes or are barely represented at all. However, with the current crisis facing the TV industry as commissioning slows down, broader diversity commitments are being thrown into chaos, it says, adding that there is a 'growing concern that the current crisis will make the industry less diverse and only accessible to a small group with economic and cultural advantage.' The report gave best in class examples of recent shows such as ITV's Coronation Street and new BBC comedy-drama Just Act Normal. It said the next step is to 'provide guidance on what being a Class Confident organisation in the TV industry looks like.' Gemma Bradshaw, Impact Director of the Edinburgh Festival TV Foundation, said: 'Since starting the class and social equality working group, we have heard many difficult and painful stories about the hurdles in people's TV careers that were all the bigger because of their class background. The aim of the report is to move the conversation about class up the agenda, making it business critical and provide companies with the inspiration to move away from talking about people in terms of their 'cultural fit' or 'risk' and start talking about what they bring.' Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Ari Aster's 'Eddington' So Far Everything We Know About 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 So Far List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NRL news: Tino Fa'asuamaleaui hit with damning allegation as Jacob Preston rubbed out of State of Origin
Former NRL player James Graham has accused Tino Fa'asuamaleaui of 'staying down' to draw the penalty that resulted in Jacob Preston being banned for four weeks and rubbed out of State of Origin. Preston was unsuccessful at the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night, which increased his suspension from three to four games. He was charged for a crusher tackle on Fa'asuamaleaui in the Bulldogs' win over the Titans on Sunday, and because it was his third charge of the season he copped a heavy ban. The back-rower had enjoyed a superb start to the season and many had touted him as a State of Origin bolter for NSW. James Graham believes Tino Fa'asuamaleaui stayed down to draw the penalty that got Jacob Preston suspended. Image: Fox League/AAP But the four-week ban will rule him out of Origin 1 contention, and would make it very hard for him to play Game 2 as well. Because the Bulldogs have a bye in Round 13, he won't have completed his ban by the time the team for Game 2 is named at the end of Round 14. ADVERTISEMENT In a stunning post-hearing statement, Preston's lawyer Paul McGirr claimed 'diving' was widespread in the NRL, with players attempting to earn penalties from crusher tackles. "I'm not suggesting this with Tino, but some players certainly appear to be lying down a bit in order to milk a penalty," McGirr said. "Particularly when players go down and behave like their heads almost falling off, and then they're running it up two or three times in the next (set of) six." Hundreds of hours are spent on knowing how to release the head and the 'pressure' applied on Tino is the most minor I've seen when it comes to a crusher tackle. I'm in disbelief — Macca (@Andrewmacca27) May 5, 2025 James Graham accuses Tino Fa'asuamaleaui of 'staying down' While McGirr was careful not to accused Fa'asuamaleaui, the same can't be said of former Bulldogs captain Graham. Speaking on 'The Bye Round' podcast before the judiciary hearing, Graham launched into Fa'asuamaleaui for staying down to draw the penalty. "I was calling this game on radio and I couldn't believe Tino was allowed to stay down to get that penalty," Graham said. "I don't agree with that. This is an absolute farce. I nearly swore on radio." Tino Fa'asuamaleaui stayed on the ground after Jacob Preston's crusher tackle. Image: Fox League Graham launched a staunch defence of Preston and said he believed the Bulldogs player took steps to avoid hurting Fa'asuamaleaui. "I think we've actually forgotten what an actual crusher tackle is. When Melbourne Storm brought it into the competition it was by design. It was pre-meditated and it was intended to injure and hurt an individual. ADVERTISEMENT "In my opinion, Jacob Preston actually had a choice where he could have done the old-school crusher tackle and looked to really put some force into Tino's neck. Or move his body to allow the head to come through, and in my opinion he makes the latter of those two decisions." An interesting sub-plot in the situation is that Fa'asuamaleaui will be one of the first players picked for Queensland, but he won't be facing off against Preston for NSW. According to reports the Titans player apologised to Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton after the full-time siren. Jacob Preston (L) was unsuccessful at the NRL judiciary. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) Jacob Preston excuse rejected at NRL judiciary During the hearing, Preston rejected claims from the NRL's lawyer Lachlan Gyles that he had added to the force on Fa'asuamaleaui's head by leaving the ground in the tackle. Gyles also claimed there was no evidence to suggest Preston tried to remove his arm like he suggested - a point the Bulldogs second-rower flatly denied. ADVERTISEMENT "As my arm comes out that's when I lose my feet simultaneously," Preston said. But the panel of Tony Puletua and Paul Simpkins took less than 15 minutes to agree with Gyles, pointing to Preston's feet leaving the ground as their main issue. with AAP
