Are you a workaholic? No, seriously, are you?
It is not surprising that research has shown a strong correlation between workaholism and burnout.
For as long as I can remember, my siblings and I have referred to our father as a workaholic.
His work ethic is relentless.
Far more than just a strong commitment to his paid roles, he exhibits workaholic behaviour in general. He’s always busy, always ‘doing’ something. Never at rest. It’s no wonder his children inherited these traits.
One of the modern implications for those of us who have grown up seeing such behaviours commended, highly regarded, and almost revered is that it becomes an ingrained belief and mindset.
Normalised.
Tied into our identity and often part of our unique value proposition when interviewing with new organisations.
When we proudly state, ‘I’m renowned for my strong work ethic’, we’re really saying, ‘I’m a workaholic’ and bosses everywhere should clap their hands and jump up and down with glee.
Shouldn’t they?
No. Not really.
Because research consistently proves a strong correlation between workaholism and burnout.
What exactly is workaholism?
Workaholism is generally described as an addiction. Researchers Andreasson, Griffiths, Pallesen and Sinha characterise it as being:
– overly concerned about work,
– driven by an uncontrollable work motivation and
– putting so much energy and effort into work that it impairs private relationships, spare-time activities or health.
Other psychological reasons for workaholism include avoidance – redirecting our thinking into work to avoid uncomfortable emotions or problems. Sometimes, workaholics strive to gain approval and acceptance from others through high work delivery.
And, in other cases, it’s a maladaptive coping strategy of trying to meet high work demands by working more – even though such work investment is well beyond what is required to meet organisational demands.
Take The Test – The Bergen Work Addiction Scale
The Bergen Work Addiction Scale uses seven criteria to identify work addiction. All items are scored as: (1) Never, (2) Rarely, (3)Sometimes, (4) Often, and (5) Always.
☐ You think of how you can free up more time to work.
☐ You spend much more time working than initially intended.
☐ You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness and depression.
☐ You have been told by others to cut down on work without listening to them.
☐ You become stressed if you are prohibited from working.
☐ You deprioritise hobbies, leisure activities, and exercise because of your work.
☐ You work so much that it has negatively influenced your health.
Professor Cecilie Schou Andreassen from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Bergen (UiB) led the team that developed the instrument. Andreassen’s study shows that scoring ‘often’ or ‘always’ on at least four of the seven items may suggest that you are a workaholic.
Does that sound like you or someone you know? Read on.
Seven Steps to Help A Workaholic
1. Assess yourself: Take the Bergen Work Addiction Scale (or similar) self-diagnostic test to determine whether you may be a workaholic.
2. Check in with others: Ask family, peers and friends to see whether they feel you work too much or neglect other important aspects of your life as a result of your work commitment. Ask for their support, if needed, as you strive to make adjustments.
3. Examine your why: Go below the surface and examine why you may be experiencing workaholism. Try to identify what work provides you – other than an income. For example, is it perfectionism, higher self-esteem, status, avoidance, sense of achievement or satisfaction?
4. Know what you are saying no to: Consider carefully what is most important to you (income, status, relationships, wellbeing, meaning, family?) What are you compromising as a result of your workaholism? Is it creating strain in your relationships? Are you missing out on important life events? Given that there are finite hours in a day and week, identify where you could reclaim some balance if you are compromising on things that matter to you. This will help you change your habits.
5. Set limits: Restrict the number of hours per week or per day you will work. Limit how much you will work on weekends and your use of work-related devices. ‘The right to disconnect’ is a phrase we will be hearing more about and will see built into Fair Work principles. While workaholics generally fuel their own behaviour, if you are engaging in workaholic behaviour to meet job demands, make sure you appreciate your right to disconnect and switch off outside work hours. That includes devices and your mind.
6. Check the physical signs of workaholism: Do you have stiff muscles, tension in your shoulders or jaw, tension headaches, back, neck or other musculoskeletal problems? Prolonged work – particularly in passive sitting jobs, increases your chances of adverse physical outcomes. Our bodies are designed to move and our brains need a break. Get up and take a walk.
7. Seek help: It’s important to get professional help if you feel you need to. This can provide an understanding of what may be driving your workaholism and help address those underlying issues.
Extracted from Finding Equilibrium – Chapter Six – Workaholism.
You can read more about this topic and other ways to balance your work and life – to get the work done whilst looking after yourself and your team in my book Finding Equilibrium. Purchase here or at major online book retailers.
References
Andreassen, C. S., Griffiths, M. D., Pallesen, S., & Sinha, R. (2016). Workaholism: An Overview and Current Status of the Research. Journal of Behavioral Addictions
https://ncbi.nlm.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4117275/
Andreassen C. S. (2014). Workaholism: An overview and current status of the research. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 3(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1556/JBA.2.2013.017.
Filimonov, N., (2024). Why do people become workaholics? EPAM Anywhere. Retrieved from https://anywhere.epam.com/en/blog/why-do-people-become-workaholics
Andreassen, C. S., Griffiths, M. D., Pallesen, S., & Sinha, R.
(2016). The Bergen Work Addiction Scale: Psychometric properties of a new measure of work addiction. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 54(5), 48-55. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20160426-01
Tanya Heaney-Voogt
Director & Principal Consultant
MBA, ICFACC, MAHRI, Dip Mgt, Dip Coaching, Prosci® Certified Change Practitioner
E: tanya@tanyaheaneyvoogt.com
Recent Comments