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Clives Message Dear Colleagues,

It seems to be a constant fact of life that each year that goes by is more hectic and pressurised than the last. 2014 has certainly been no exception

to this rule with high levels of activity in every area of the business.

Its therefore appropriate that in summarising the outstanding events of the year that I must apologise in advance for not being able to include the

hundreds of thousands of little successes that have been notched up by staff members in every corner of our great company.

Outstanding final financial results posted. Please refer to http://www.barloworld-reports.co.za/year_end/year_end_2014/pdf/presentation.pdf to review the results presentation. In particular our results are shown on page 47. None of this would have been possible without consistent and dedicated input from everyone in every department, branch and regional operation.

PMR Africa’s leading fleet management award won by Avis Fleet Services for the 8th

consecutive year, and the bronze award won by Phakisaworld in the public sector category for both passenger and light commercial vehicles.

Winning the PIKITUP tender to continue providing fleet management, managed maintenance, ad hoc rental and procurement services for a further 36 months.

Successful sale & leaseback of the Brandhouse fleet of 313 vehicles. Acquisition and growth of fleets, including Doves, Sealed Air, Creative Council, Rockwell Automation, AngloGoldAshanti, Pencox,

Roadlab and Ericsson, in South Africa, Department of Education in Namibia, Coca Cola in Ghana, and many more. Acquisition of a leasing company and establishment of Avis Fleet Services in Tanzania with an initial fleet of 262 vehicles. Submission of a tender for the renewal of the NDoT Phakisaworld contract. Provision of services with negligible interruption during a period of political instability in Lesotho. Successful implementation of new SAGE financial system after months of meticulous planning and testing. Improving employment equity and other scores in South Africa and regaining our Level 2 DTI Scorecard accreditation. Increasing penetration of the Barloworld Motor Retail opportunity for retail service and maintenance plans to 75%. Ongoing excellent used vehicle disposal results from our sites in Benoni, Durban and Bellville, with outstanding use of the Traders On

Line auction system.

The list goes on and on……

In closing I would like to wish you a great break if you are going away in December. Enjoy being with your families, rest, have fun. Please drive

carefully; we want you back in January in order to repeat our success in 2015.

Yours sincerely,

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SPRING IS IN THE AIR

SEAWORLD FUN FOR KZN

On the 5

th September, the Durban Team

took customers to Ushaka Marine World

for a Spring Day treat. Our Customers

arrived relaxed around 9:00am at Moyo’s

Restaurant where they all had their faces

painted before having a scrumptious

breakfast and were welcomed by Chris

and the Team. After breakfast everyone

went across to Seaworld where they

watched the latest dolphin show which

was absolutely awesome. After the

dolphin show they took a leisurely walk

through the aquarium before departing

back to their offices. Customers were

handed gifts which consisted of a bright

and colourful beach bag and beach towel,

they were in awe as we once again had

another successful and enjoyable

customer event.

Here’s what some of our ladies had to say:

“Please thank everyone at Avis Fleet

Services who helped make the morning

special. It was such a good place to start

the day. I really enjoyed the breakfast, the

good company and watching the waves

break on the sand! And thank you for the

gift, I shall make good use of it!” – Margie

Smith- TAFTA

“Thank you so

much for such a fantastic morning. I am

scared to wash my face! It was so great

meeting and chatting to everybody and

the food at Moyo was good too – did not

even feel hungry at lunch time. Those

dolphins were just so lovely too.” – Ingrid

Knott –Hapag Lloyd

“Thank you so much for the lovely

breakfast, the gorgeous gift and an

amazing start to the weekend, it was such

a lovely morning and even nicer meeting

so many other ladies. The bag and beach

towel will come into such good use.” –

Janet McDonald – Crown

CAPE TOWN LADIES TEST THEIR BREADMAKING SKILLS

Avis Fleet Services introduced a few of our loyal customers to the gentle art of bread making on Thursday, 11th September for the Cape Town Spring Day

celebrations. Barloworld Kuilsrivier generously hosted the departure point and we started the day off with coffee and an assortment of scrumptious treats. A leisurely scenic trip through Helshoogte Pass and Pniel, led to Môreson Wine Estate in the luscious Franschhoek Valley, where a very hands on experience awaited. At lunch the guests had the pleasure of enjoying the fruits of their own hard labour – and each proud baker could take the leftovers home to share with friends and family (and collect bragging rights). Great fun was had by all!

Some thank you’s from our Customers: “Good morning Bennie, A big thank you to you

for arranging the day, it was really a wonderful

experience!”- Shirley Kuschke (Barloworld

Toyota Kuilsrivier)

“Well done !!!! Absolutely fantastic !!” Alisha Poultney (Supercare)

“Baie dankie, en vreeslik baie dankie vir gister, dit was 'n heerlike dag en ons het die vreeslik baie geniet” - Hannalie Kapp (Accolade Wines)

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A DAY AT THE SPA FOR THE PE LADIES

The PE Annual Ladies Spring Day was held at Shambala Wellness Spa on the 4

th

September. A total of 16 ladies enjoyed a delicious lunch followed by some tasty treats before settling in for a relaxing afternoon of indulgent pampering. The Swedish massage proved to be the most popular with others opting for a manicure or pedicure. By late afternoon the relaxation lounge was occupied by a very happy and content group of ladies. Each of our Customers received a pewter trinket box, a memoir note book and a beautiful Shambala treatment gift voucher. Once again a fabulous time was had by all!

NELSPRUIT CUSTOMER FUNCTION

On 12

th September Avis Fleet Services

Nelspruit once again hosted our annual

Nelspruit Customer Function at Skukuza

Golf Club in the Kruger National Park. In

true Lowveld style all customers whole

heartedly attended and participated in all

the various activities. The very innovative

barman at

the Skukuza golf club invented little

“cooler” boxes to enable the golfers to

stay hydrated in the sweltering 35⁰C heat.

The only thing we didn’t think of was to

protect our Avis Fleet Services banner

from the hungry crocodiles! Our banner

flew from the first tee box onto an island

in the dam and it was all downhill from

there!

The game drives provided lots of

excitement and good sightings and lots of

chatter and laughter took place. It was

thoroughly enjoyed by all.

The wisest group of the day was the

group that opted for the spa

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activity….lying in air-conditioned spa

rooms or sipping cocktails on the shady

deck overlooking the Kruger National

Park was just what the doctor ordered

after a tough year.

The spa group all looked relaxed and

revived upon their return.

Sfiso and Ronel from Skukuza Golf club

once again lived up to their excellent

service standards and the food and

arrangements were all outstanding.

The day ended with a braai and lots of

happy customers who were all very lazy

to leave the relaxed atmosphere of the

Kruger National Park.

The Team has received many thank you

emails and notes to congratulate them on

another successful and thoroughly

enjoyed function……..they can’t wait for

next year!

AVIS FLEET SERVICES & PHAKISAWORLD FLEET SOLUTIONS PROVES ONCE AGAIN THAT WE ARE TOP OF THE CLASS

Thank you, we couldn’t have done it without you! Often the simplest symbols

are the ones with the

richest meanings. The

infinity symbol represents

our unwavering

commitment to our

customers, to service

excellence, and to

continuous improvement.

We can’t help but notice that it also happens to represent the figure eight and our proud achievement to be awarded, for the 8

th

consecutive year - as PMR Africa’s leading Fleet Management Company.

Ensuring that our unique brand of

commitment to customers reaches far

and wide, Avis Rent a Car,

Avis Fleet Services, Barloworld Motor

Botswana and Barloworld Equipment

Botswana all achieved first place in their

respective sectors at the Botswana 2014

PMR Awards.

We are also exceedingly proud of

Phakisaworld Fleet Solutions, who

received the PMR Africa’s Bronze Award

in the Public Sector category for both

passenger and light commercial vehicles.

It is the continued commitment from each of you – our passionate and hardworking Brand Ambassadors that has led us to these achievements. Well done to each of you!

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Deliveries PENCOX VEHICLE DELIVERY Following our last Code Red edition where Lizette Le Roux from Pretoria delivered 7 vehicles to Cartrack in Middelburg; she received a lead from her newly signed on customer. A big thank you to Hendre and Santa from Cartrack, a family business based in Middelburg who put Lizette in contact with Cobus Peens at Pencox Auto. Lizette brought Pencox Auto Air on board with 11 new vehicles, an additional 9 on Managed Maintenance; Shell Alliance Fuel Cards and Intelligent Fuel Management on the entire fleet. This very happy customer referred Lizette to one of the Big 5 leads that she is currently working on and hopefully we will have good news soon on this promising lead. Well done Lizette!! LEANDRAS FIRST DELIVERY TO ROADLAB

Roadlab currently has a Fleet of 68

vehicles which Avis Fleet Services have

successfully moved over to Managed

Maintenance. All 68 vehicles have been

signed up with Shell fuel cards, E-TAGS,

IFM and TFMS. We also received a vehicle

order for 13 new Toyota Hilux bakkies.

We look forward to a long standing

relationship with Roadlab. Well done

Leandra!

42 NEW GROWTH UNITS AT ERICSSON

Ericsson recently landed a project that

required an additional 42 vehicles onto

their fleet. After months of quoting, the

customer finally accepted the quote for

42 Chev Utility vehicles. These vehicles

were delivered in batches of 10

throughout the month.

Ericsson has been a customer of Avis Fleet Services since 1997. Their current fleet with us is a total of 91 vehicles. Well done to Josephine on this delivery!

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WEEKEND AWAY AT WELGEVONDEN

Avis Fleet Services were lucky enough to

take Rob and Sandy Nicol (Coolwines)

and Michael and Deyth Herman (Ericsson)

on a weekend away at the Nissan

Welgevonden house from the 19th

-21st

September 2014 with Susan van Dyk as

their host. This was a superb weekend

away, where they were treated to

fantastic game sightings in the Waterberg

Mountains. Their very experienced game

ranger, Lazarus, managed to get them

up close and personal to a well fed, male

leopard and a very cheeky elephant bull!

GARDEN ROUTE GAME LODGE VEHICLE DELIVERY Tammy Southby – New Business Development Executive from the Port Elizabeth office, recently delivered 2 Toyota Hilux Game Viewers to the 5 Star “Garden Route Game Lodge”. Tammy has her sights set on the additional eleven vehicles which they

have indicated will need to be replaced shortly. This is due to the arguments they are said to have over who gets to drive in the new Game Viewers when they have large tour groups.

The customer was very pleased with the excellent conversion job on their new Game Viewers. Well done to Tammy on this excellent delivery!

SKUKUZA FUN WALK

A few of our staff members from

Vuswa joined in on the fun walk

hosted in Skukuza for Casual Day, to

support people with disabilities. An

exciting day

was had by those that joined in and

a good work out was had!

(L-R top: Louw

Hlungwane,

Ricky

Koorbanally,

Nomsa Dikgale,

Idah Mbondzisi,

Jerinah

Mabasa)

(L-R bottom:

Marisa David,

Knox Mdhluli

and Tlangelani

Mhlanga.)

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INTERWASTE TURN 25 YEARS OLD

On the 26th

September, the Avis Fleet Services Team hosted a drinks hole at the Interwaste Golf Day which was held in honor of their 25

th birthday celebration at

the Royal Johannesburg & Kengsington Golf Course. The Interwaste Team hosted an estimated 400 people ranging from suppliers, employees as well as customers from all industry sectors. A fun day was had by all on the course with our team securing a few leads in the process!

LESOTHO ANNUAL CORPORATE BICYCLE CHALLENGE

It is Spring time again, flowers are

blooming, birds are chirping and the

annual Corporate Bicycle Challenge is

back. This challenge is hosted at Maseru

Mall every year. The aim of the challenge

is to encourage a healthy way of living

and to network with the various

companies that participate in these

games. Avis Fleet Services entered two

teams this year and out of the 90

companies that participated, Avis Fleet

Services out did themselves and came in

at 29th position.

It was a 2km route, arduous challenges,

which included carrying your team

member on a tyre, 50m sprint, a jump

through two 1.8m deep holes, a run

through a tyre track and lastly a 200m

bicycle relay.

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JOURNEY OF HOPE – BREAST CANCER

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Journey Of Hope is a Breast Cancer

Awareness Campaign which is held

annually over a week in different areas of

Botswana, where between 11 and 16

riders (all Cancer survivors, sufferers or

people linked with Cancer in some way)

ride pink scooters with a crew of four pink

wrapped vehicles supplied by our sister

company Barloworld Motor Retail. They

have a host of qualified medical personnel

to raise Cancer Awareness and do health

checks around the country on people who

would not ordinarily be able to access or

know how to access such tests. Referrals

to hospitals and or medical facilities are

made throughout the week, assisting in

saving peoples’ lives. The four Barloworld

cars drive in convoy behind the scooters

throughout the journey to keep them as

safe as possible. This event attracts huge

media attention and sponsorship from

many corporates. Avis Rent-a-Car and

Barlworld Motor Retail are known as two

of ‘The Big Five’ sponsors as they have

supported it from day one and send staff

to assist every year. Pictured below is

Bronia Matshane, Rent a Car Operations,

driving one of the Barloworld cars,

wrapped in pink.

AVIS FLEET SERVICES LESOTHO

HAND OVER NEW QUANTUM

One of Avis Fleet Services’ promises is to treat our customers and colleagues with empathy, honesty and humanity. In addition to that, one of our core responsibilities is fulfilling our Corporate and Social Responsibility to both our customers as well as our relevant stakeholders. One of Avis Fleet Services Lesotho’s CSR projects is sponsoring the National soccer fraternity in Lesotho with

a Toyota Quantum, which was originally first sponsored to them in 2008. Avis Fleet Services recently decided to replace the old Quantum with a new one. Present at the handover of the new Quantum was Keith Dell – GM Avis Fleet Services Lesotho, Mr Salemane Phafane - Lesotho Football Association (LEFA) President, Mr Mokhosi Mohapi - LEFA’s Secretary General, Yvonne Ozturk – Avis Fleet Services Customer Services Manager and members of the

press. After the official handover of the vehicle, a question and answer session took place in the boardroom where drinks and snacks were served. It is always a pleasure here at Avis Fleet Services Lesotho to fulfill our vision of exceeding our customers’ expectations at every interface. -Themba Nyathi

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NELSON MANDELA BAY BUSINESS

CHAMBER GOLF DAY

The Port Elizabeth Team office recently sponsored the Annual Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber Golf Day – an

Annual Golf Day which is well supported by the Local Business Community. Despite gale force winds forcing the gazebo to be taken down, The PE Team were there in full force, displaying our Avis Fleet Services brand with pride.

Tammy and Samantha were on hand at the 17

th tee to offer golfers refreshments

and snacks. It was a wonderful day and many positive business contacts were made.

NELSON MANDELA BAY URBAN RUN The Nelson Mandela Bay Urban Run is a

free running inspired multi-disciplinary

foot race. Zports introduced the Urban

Run concept to Nelson Mandela Bay as a

charity event and a means to bring people

back to the CBD to witness the Urban

Renewal which has transformed our

historic city in recent years. The event

offers a challenging, yet exciting way to

get to know the city whilst pushing every

participant’s endurance to the limit, all in

a festival atmosphere for participants and

spectators alike.

Our PE team took part in the exciting run

this year and even found themselves on

stage afterwards as finalists in the Best

Dressed Category!

This year more than R250 000 was raised

for charity.

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HERITAGE DAY

Heritage Day which is celebrated annually on September 24th, recognises and celebrates the cultural wealth of our nation. South Africans celebrate the day by remembering the cultural heritage of the many cultures that make up the population of South Africa.

Heritage Day is a celebration of all things that makes us who we are as South Africans; our history; culture, music, dance,language, food, traditions etc. South Africa is a rainbow nation country and Heritage Day is the perfect time to showcase that or better yet do things that help preserve our cultures and history.

On Thursday, 25

th September Avis Fleet

Services Head Office hosted our very own Heritage Day where foods from different cultures were served to all staff, and staff had the opportunity to dress up in outfits that represented their own Heritage.

Finance Having Spring Time Tea Spring has sprung in the Finance Department and the team decided to

celebrate by bringing in and sharing some lovely treats!

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OCTOBER – BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same. We have made a lot of progress but still have a long way to go.

HOW DO I IDENTIFY BREAST CANCER?

Invasive cancers are further broken up

into a number of sub-types, each of which

can either be dangerous or easy to treat.

These cancers start in different areas of

the breast and have different effects. An

example of invasive cancer is

Inflammatory Carcinoma. This type of

cancer causes the breast to become red

and inflamed. As the skin thickens, small

bumps also start appearing on the

surface. In 90% of cases, Inflammatory

Carcinoma spreads to the lymph nodes. It

is very aggressive and can only be treated

with chemotherapy.

Non-invasive cancers are tumours that

doctors are starting to find more often as

women go for more mammograms (X-

rays of the breast). These tumours are the

early stages of more serious cancers. The

most common type of non-invasive

cancer is Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS).

Most women diagnosed with this cancer

can be cured through surgery.

SYMPTOMS

A lump in a breast that feels firm but does not hurt

Pain in the breast or on one side of the body

Abnormal change in breast shape or size

Changes in skin colour or texture, like redness or a dimpled appearance

A clear-to yellow green discharge from the nipples

PREVENTION

The easiest way to detect breast

cancer is for women to perform self-

examinations every month. This

should be done by feeling whether

there are any lumps and by looking

at the overall shape of the breast,

with and without a mirror. –

www.smartcape.org.za

HAVE AN EARLY DETECTION PLAN Early detection provides the greatest possibility for successful treatment. When breast cancer is detected early (localized stage), the 5-year survival rate is 98%. An Early Detection Plan includes performing monthly breast self-exams, regularly visiting your doctor for scheduled clinical breast exams, and following your healthcare provider's recommendations for mammograms, which will depend on your age and health history. You can create your own Early Detection Plan by going to the website www.nationalbreastcancer.org

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HEALTHY CORNER

BEST FOODS FOR A HEALTHY HEART

The secret to good health is to eat a variety of foods, each one enriching you with its own unique array of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. But when it comes to heart health, there are some specific foods that are a cut above the rest. Here are our picks for food your heart loves the most.

Nuts What: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews and pistachios Why: nuts are rich in fibre, mono and poly-unsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals and arginine (an amino acid that the body uses to make nitric oxide, which plays a role in easing the flow of blood through blood vessels). The mono and poly-unsaturated fats help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. The protein and fibre in nuts

also helps control blood sugar levels and delay hunger.

Seafood rich in omega 3 fatty acids What: fresh tuna, salmon, sardines and herring Why: omega 3 fatty acids can reduce blood pressure and heart rate, as well as increase levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. They have anti-inflammatory properties and are also associated with a decreased incidence of depression.

Legumes What: beans, lentils, peas and peanuts Why: legumes are a rich source of soluble fibre, vitamins and minerals. The soluble fibre helps control blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Legumes are also a good source of both protein and carbohydrates, an excellent choice for

everyone, especially vegetarians.

Olive oil Why: olive oil is rich in mono-unsaturated fats which help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. Olive oil also contains anti-oxidants, which protect your body’s cells and boosts your immune system.

Wholegrains What: brown or wild rice, quinoa, couscous, oats and wholewheat pasta, barley, rye, buckwheat Why: They not only promote good stomach health (and a stronger immune system) but they also help control the rate at which sugar enters your blood stream. – www.virginactive.co.za

Moderation is key and by eating a variety of foods, each with their own health benefits, you’ll pave the road to good health and reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

CELEBRATE THE FLAVOURS OF OUR SOUTH AFRICAN HERITAGE

AFRICAN VEGETABLE STEW

(6-8 servings)

Ingredients

30ml Olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped and separated 1 whole chilli, green or red finely sliced 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 bunch spinach 250ml chickpeas or red kidney beans, cooked 215ml raisins 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 410g whole tomatoes

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste 125ml uncooked brown rice Tabasco, to taste

Directions

Warm the oil gently and sauté ½ the onion, chilli, garlic and the sliced white stems of the spinach for 5-10 minutes.

Add the chopped spinach leaves and sauté a further 5 minutes.

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Add the chickpeas or beans, the raisins, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the rice.

Pat it down until it becomes moistened adding 30ml water if necessary.

Cover pot with a tight fitting lid and cook over a very low heat until the rice is tender (45 minutes).

Check the moisture regularly, ensuring it does not stick. Add a little water if necessary.

Season the rice and serve with Tabasco sauce.

CRISPY STUFFED POTATOES

(4 servings)

Ingredients 4 large baking potatoes 10ml olive oil 60ml grated parmesan cheese ½ cup (125ml) low fat milk 45ml smooth low fat cottage cheese ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp (1.25ml) pepper

A pinch of grated nutmeg 4 spring onions, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 230°C. Prick the potatoes in several places with a fork and bake for 1 hour or until firm-tender. Leave the oven on.

Halve the potatoes lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving 5mm of flesh on the skin. Brush the insides of the potato skins with the oil and sprinkle with 30ml of the parmesan cheese. Place the skins cut-sides up on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes or until they are crisp and golden. Leave the oven on.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mash the potato flesh with the milk, cottage cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and the remaining 30ml parmesan cheese.

Spoon the mashed potato mixture into the crisped potato skins, return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until piping hot. Sprinkle potatoes with the spring onions.

TRADITIONAL VEGETARIAN DHAL

(6 servings)

Ingredients 1 cup pink lentils ½ cup (125ml) onions, diced ¼ cup (62ml) tomatoes, diced 1tsp (5ml) fine red chilli powder ½ tsp (2.5ml) tumeric powder Salt to taste 1 cinnamon stick 2 cloves garlic 4 peppercorns 1 litre water

Garnish 1 sprig curry leaves ¼ tsp (1.25 ml) fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) ¼ tsp (1.25ml) (black mustard seeds) 1 tsp (5ml) sliced garlic/crushed garlic 3 tbsp (45ml) canola/olive oil Handful of chopped spring onions and coriander (dhania)

Directions

Combine all the ingredients (except the garnish ingredients) in a deep pot and boil to a thick broth.

Beat with an eggbeater until thick and smooth.

In a separate saucepan combine all the garnish ingredients (except spring onions and coriander) and cook until aroma arises.

Add to the dhal (broth) and stir well.

Garnish with freshly chopped spring onion and coriander before serving.

Serve with rice and salad.

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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS WORD SEARCH

Words to Find: TUMOR ULTRASONOGRAPH DIAGNOSIS

SAVETHETATAS FIBROADENOMA MAMMOGRAM

ONCOLOGIST GLANDS RADIATION

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WHO’S WHO?

With so many new staff members

recently joining the GT4 Sales team they

decided to host a team building so

everyone could have the opportunity to

get to know each other better. They

enjoyed a dinner together at A’ La Turka

restaurant at Judah Castle.

Front row L - R – Vanessa Dickson (Key Accounts Executive Nelspruit), Simoné Visser (Key Accounts Executive Pretoria), Arina de Jongh (Business Development Executive Northern Cape), Anneke Smith (Key Accounts Executive Bloemfontein), Marguerite Brunsdon (Key Accounts Executive Nelspruit)

Back row L -R – Liezel Tapuch (Regional Sales Manager Inland), Cathrine Mathebula (Business Development Executive Bloemfontein), Jeanette Bossert (Key Accounts Executive Pretoria), Lizette Le Roux (Business Development Executive Pretoria), Marina Human (Customer Support Executive Bloemfontein)

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BREAK THE WORKAHOLIC CYCLE According to statistics, 40% of South Africans describe themselves as workaholics. While working too hard for too long daily might be considered a badge of honour to some, in the long term this behaviour may cause a combination of unhealthy effects. Project Know, an addiction education programme, describes work addiction as a psychological need to work, turning a desire to work into an obsession. Although a culture of workaholism where employees are rewarded for working obsessively may be partly to blame, individuals who suffer from work addiction may be as psychologically vulnerable to addiction as those who become addicted to narcotics. Project Know further argues that workaholism may be a form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In any of these cases, a workaholic may find it difficult to recognise problematic behaviours in themselves, because working hard and spending many hours at work may be revered and not considered harmful. However, workaholism can be harmful to their health. IDENTIFYING WORKAHOLISM As with many addictions, it can be difficult to recognise destructive behaviours. Here’s how to recognise workaholism:

Complete preoccupation with work.

Withdrawal from social activities in favour of working.

Less engagement in activities previously enjoyed.

Neglect of hygiene, diet, and sleep.

Working through extreme fatigue or illness.

Inability to relax.

Inability to delegate.

This can lead to the workaholic triad: stress, back and neck pain, and sleep disorders. STRESS, PAIN AND LOSS OF SLEEP Although maintaining work/life balance is difficult, the cost of not doing so is great. Stress is a natural, physiological ‘fight-or-flight’ response to circumstances. Part of the reason that workaholism is so bad for you is because it causes a constant stress reaction, which can result in burnout. Long-term, excessive stress can cause psychological and physiological damage:

It can lower your immune system, making you more susceptible to illness and slowing healing so you’re sicker for longer.

It can cause damage to the heart by increasing blood pressure because stress hormones make your heart beat faster.

It can cause insomnia, headaches, migraines, depression, and fatigue.

It can cause muscle pain and tension because stress hormones cause the muscles to tense.

It can also cause existing medical condition symptoms to worsen, especially asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, eczema, hives, and acne.

Stress has also been linked to obesity.

Stress can cause irritability, anxiety, and moodiness and result in overreactions which can cause conflict.

BREAK THE CYCLE Restoring work/life balance can help you overcome the workaholic triad. Try these tips for breaking bad habits and developing better ones:

Set yourself a limit. Set yourself a limit so that you don’t work longer than is expected of you.

Set priorities. Draw up a list on a daily, weekly, or project basis and focus on the important tasks.

Delegate the less important tasks. Consult your priority list and let go of the tasks you know someone else can handle.

Trust those around you. Letting go of tasks means being able to trust the people you work with. Start off with small tasks.

Learn to say ‘no’. Possibly the most difficult thing for the workaholic; but the most important. Learn to refuse tasks when you will have to work overtime to complete them.

Leave your work in the office. For the workaholic, working at home is not healthy. Work at the office and don’t take work home.

Get help. In some cases, a therapist might be the best way to recover.

Don’t fall victim to the inevitable burnout and constant stress that is the life of a workaholic. Take back control over your life and restore your work/life balance for a healthier life.