Here's 10 signs you are a workaholic: 1. An article in U.S. News writes: “You need to find some hobbies that don’t involve what you do from 9 to 5.”. On a similar note, when work-related goals or successes are the only factors motivating you to get up in the morning, it’s time to realign your priorities—and that doesn’t mean reading a company handbook during your commute or lifting weights at your standing desk. And it's true that, except in the most extreme cases, these vices generally have milder negative impacts on our lives, waistlines, and credit card bills than the truly grim physical and emotional toll of, say, substance abuse. If alarm bells of recognition are going off in your brain, you can take some comfort in knowing that you're not alone. Puder-York recommends letting go of perfectionism and unhinging self-worth from performance. Marilyn Puder-York, an executive coach and the author of The Office Survival Guide, agrees: ‘Workaholics define their self and self-esteem by achievement only.’ It’s time to start looking outside of work for achievements that will make you feel successful! It will give you a breath of fresh air after a long day in the office. Yeah, you got that right! As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Despite the uncertainty about exactly how many Americans are workaholics, there are common symptoms and warning signs. Work! Work addiction often occurs in people who have a strong need for perfection. And when people are staying in the office late, working on the weekends, and never taking vacations, they are showing major signs of being a workaholic. That way, you’ll avoid overworking yourself and you’ll be able to walk out the door at 5pm. Simply put, if they don’t have a life, then they should get one.”, If you think it’s difficult to leave the office at the end of the day, imagine leaving it for a few days or even weeks. Workaholics also have higher burnout rates and truncated career trajectories, Bryan E. Robinson, a psychotherapist and author of Chained to the Desk, tells U.S. News. The “time is money” attitude makes people think twice about spending a relaxing evening with family or enjoying leisure time with friends. address: The Black Church, St. Mary’s Place, Dublin 7, Ireland. But are they really that important? In the 1990s, Ford Motor Company released research showing that for every additional 20 hours of work above the recommended 40 hours, productivity increased for only three or four weeks before it became negative. You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness, or depression. Typically, workaholics won’t own up to their own problems, using work to divert their attention from other issues in their lives. Read about them here: 6 Tips For Better Work-Life Balance. And the damage doesn’t stop there. And while that may be acceptable in certain work cultures, Robinson and other work-addiction experts agree that such a lifestyle can lead to detrimental long-term consequences. Remember: it’s important to recognise when you’re stretching yourself too far and when you’re taking on tasks that are outside your skillset and don’t align with your career goals. With these unrealistic expectations, a worker will rarely feel satisfied with themselves. “If you don’t have a start and an end to a week, then it’s just one long continuous work week, which can be problematic,” Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist, performance coach, and author of Be Fearless: Change Your Life In 28 Days, tells U.S. News. … To find out if you exhibit other signs of workaholism, take Robinson’s Work Addiction Risk Test. So, stay home and get some much-needed rest – your body (and, in turn, your boss) will thank you for it! You tie your worth to your work success. “People need time to reset, recharge, and catch up on things. Being a workaholic, like being a shopaholic or--my personal favorite--a chocoholic, is the sort of thing people confess with a little guilt but also a bit of humor. Workaholism isn’t simply defined by working long hours. Does Sexual Harassment Raise the Risk of Suicide? “A workaholic relies on external validation from their boss, colleagues, and clients,” writes Jullien Gordon, author of The 8 Cylinders of Success: How to Align Your Personal and Professional Purpose, in a LinkedIn blog post. When individuals describe themselves as "workaholics," they usually mean that they work hard. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. True workaholism, says Robinson, is the inability to turn off thoughts of work. Rose is a writer and artist living in New York City. According to research, vacations not only help workers to relax, but they also boost productivity and creativity. You can manage to waddle through the small talk, but your conversations will always lead back to work. Work is only part of the equation. Weekends are sacred for people working the Monday-to-Friday, nine-to-five grind. It’s often a need to escape from something within themselves that they’re not aware of.” Take cues from your friends and family, and talk to your doctor if you start to recognize symptoms. Working to reduce negative feelings like those of guilt, anxiety, helplessness, and depression. “Working long hours is a socially approved way of suppressing other acute problems in life,” psychotherapist Ana Jovanovic explains. It’s become such a problem that workaholism has been coined, ‘the addiction of this century.’, So when does our willingness to be constantly available cross the line into becoming a workaholic? You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness and/or depression. If you’re not thinking about it, you’re talking about it. If so, it might be time to rethink your career path or, at the very least, take some well-needed time off. Whatever the latest huge account you are obsessed with will take center stage. Are you guilty of carrying your tablet or laptop around with you on holiday and logging in every day to complete a ‘few’ tasks and check up on your team? A 2013 study by Kansas State University found that people who work more than 50 hours per week were likely to suffer both physical and mental health consequences. So, just because Jane left early, it doesn’t mean she works any less hard than you – she’s just managed to create the perfect work-life balance for herself. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Two Surprising Ways High Empathy Can Be Bad for Parents, Why Boring Jobs Demoralize Us, and How to Stay Motivated, Psychology Today © 2020 Sussex Publishers, LLC, How Antagonism Unfolds as a Trait of Narcissism. Yes, that's right. Amy Morin is a psychotherapist and the author of the 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do, a bestselling book that is being translated into more than 20 languages. Do you complete every little task yourself because you know you’ll do it best and think that other people will only mess it up? Your weekends should be your weekends; use this time for doing the things you love, and spending time with friends and family. While it might be a hard thought to swallow, it’s vital to plan sometime to disconnect from work and get away the office. You work so much that it has negatively influenced your health. This could be joining a book club, socialising with friends, joining a sports club or dance class, or something else that you will enjoy doing and which will help you beat your work addiction. Although some CEOs and managers may feel secretly giddy when they’ve hired someone who is willing to work all hours of the day and night, in the long-term, it hurts companies – and individuals. Gender, education level, and marital status did not seem to play a role. You might fit the workaholic definition if you show these signs of a workaholic: You’re the first to arrive in the office and the last to leave. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Research from the University of Bergen attempts to investigate workaholism with scientific rigor, pinning down exactly what percentage of the population has a genuine unhealthy compulsion to overwork, as well as defining the boundaries of true workaholism versus simple passion for your profession. Your existence … In fact, while it might sound counterintuitive, working throughout the day with little or no breaks can actually hinder your productivity and output. Constantly feeling ill? “It doesn't matter where you are, it matters what's going on inside of you. We've become so accustomed to having a large workload that it's stressful … Workaholics never know when enough is enough. Some experts even suggest limiting your email checks to three times a day, max: once when you first arrive in the office, once after lunch, and one more time before you leave. Read on to see if you have symptoms of a workaholic. A 1990s. Stress expert, best-selling author and motivational speaker Stephanie Marston tells, : “Many of us believe that the best way to get more work done is to work more hours. So, if you notice that you’re switching off the office lights on a nightly basis, it’s probably time that you re-evaluate your work schedule to see what’s actually making you stay so late. I am an award-winning freelance journalist, radio producer and author of Rescuing Jesus: How People of Color, Women and Queer Christians are Reclaiming Evangelicalism. Working through your lunch. All rights reserved. How To Stay Focused in a Distracting World, Motivating From Afar: Helping Your Virtual Team Stay Energized. Although you might like to get in extra early to get through your tasks in peace and quiet, you also tend to stay late and work overtime on a regular basis preparing for the next day. ‘They are always focused on more and seeking to maximise everything, because they don't really know what success means to them,” says Jullien Gordon. Also, check for these 12 signs that your workplace is actually toxic. In fact, there is a cap to productivity and when you’re overworking yourself and coming up on 50-60 hour work weeks, it’s time to slow down. My…. Are you happy only when you’ve received praise from your boss? A 1990s study issued by Ford Motor Company discovered that for every additional 20 hours of work above the recommended 40 hours, productivity increased for only three or four weeks before it became negative. Obsessive-compulsive disorders. Workaholics have a lot of bad habits that can hamper health. Every lunch hour. And do you feel the need to reply to any emails you receive as soon as you receive them? Similarly, when work-related goals are the only thing that keep you motivated on a day-to-day basis, it’s time to reassess your life and realign your priorities. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), 8 more silent ways your job is hurting your health, surprising secrets to help you be happier at work, 12 signs that your workplace is actually toxic, 36 more ways to make your work day less stressful, Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents.