In modern society, hard work is highly valued. Work engagement is considered by many to be a positive behavior. However, workaholism is an addiction with significant health consequences.
There is a fine line between work engagement and workaholism, which is associated with harm to oneself or others that arises through work behaviors.
What is workaholism?
The term was first coined in 1971, defining it as the compulsion or the uncontrollable need to work incessantly. This captures two elements used in most definitions: 1) work is excessive and 2) work is compulsive.
Workaholics have a strong -- even irresistible -- inner drive and tend to devote an exceptional amount of time to work and work beyond what is reasonably expected to meet organizational or economic requirements. They frequently think about work even when they are not working and often find it impossible to delegate work to others, usually because they do not trust others to work at the same level as they do. In short, workaholics behave as other people with addictions behave, and they often need help addressing their addictive behaviors.
Risk factors
In some North American studies, as high as one-third of the adult working population has self-identified as being workaholics, and most estimates place the prevalence of workaholism somewhere between 8-17.5%.
For attorneys, physicians and psychologists/therapists, studies reveal that the prevalence is as high as 23-25%.
Workaholism is more likely for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety.
Workaholism has many adverse effects, ranging from damaged family dynamics to impaired physical health. While work engagement increases wellbeing and performance, workaholism is tied to lower life satisfaction and contributes to illness.
Burnout, with all of its related health challenges, is strongly linked to workaholism. Burnout occurs, in part, when a person's work spills into other spheres of life and when they work to the point of emotional and physical exhaustion.
Other adverse health effects of workaholism include:
Sleep problems
Weight gain
Hypertension
Anxiety
Depression
Physical pain
Fatigue
Many workaholics also experience what is known in Denmark as "leisure illness." That is, whenever they stop working on weekends or vacations, they tend to become physically ill.
Signs and symptoms
Here are some signs that suggest workaholism:
Hurrying and staying busy
A strong need for control
Perfectionism
Difficulty with relationships
Work binges
Difficulty relaxing and having fun
Forgetting about conversations or other events because of exhaustion or preoccupation with work
Impatience and irritability
A sense of being inadequate
Self-neglect
Prevention and treatment
Workaholism can be addressed at the societal, organizational and individual levels. Societal change would potentially require altering how a society or culture reinforces healthy work-life integration.
Work closings for holidays can help with this, as can employee assistance programs that specifically incorporate supportive measures for workaholism. Required vacations and routine assessments of levels of employee work satisfaction and burnout are all potentially helpful organizational-level interventions.
Individuals who struggle with workaholism can consider adding some of the following practices to their personal health plans (PHP):
Create a concrete plan for restoring life balance. This is critical. For example, a PHP should emphasize the various aspects of proactive self-care, including moving the body, leisure activities and time with loved ones. Complementary and integrative health approaches might include mind-body techniques, acupuncture and other practices.
Bring in mindful awareness. Mindful awareness has the potential to make a positive impact. An important priority is to intentionally explore why one overworks. Is fear involved? Insecurity? Was there a childhood role model who encouraged these behaviors somehow?
Formally plan recreational time. Make plans for physical activity. It may help to have guidance from a health coach or instructor.
Educate people about peer norms. A workaholic may not be aware of how different their patterns are from others. How many hours does the person in the office next door work? Of course, drawing comparisons only helps if co-workers are not engaging in the same dysfunctional work patterns.
Encourage them to ask for the opinions of their family members and close friends. This is vital because many workaholics are unaware of how others perceive their behaviors.
Recommend joining Workaholics Anonymous. This is a 12-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous. There also are Work-Anon groups for family members. By connecting with others who understand the challenges of being overly devoted to work, individuals can find encouragement and accountability in shifting their focus toward healthier habits. These groups offer a safe space to share struggles, receive feedback and learn coping strategies to reduce stress and prevent burnout.
Engage them in cognitive behavioral therapy. This can help reduce compulsive and hard-driven tendencies and enhance a person's capacity to enjoy non-work activities.
Improve interpersonal skills at work. This includes learning to delegate and working effectively with subordinates. Micromanagement and distrust of colleagues leads to greater dysfunction.
Focus on quality of work rather than quantity. Exploring how to become more efficient at work may help some workaholics. Cultivate trust through firsthand experience – that workers can actually become more efficient if they honor their needs for relaxation time, family time and self-care in general. One study found that executives who worked an average of 52 hours a week were more effective than those working over 70 hours weekly.
Create clear boundaries when away from work. Unplug cell phones, be clear about when an email will or will not be answered and do not take computers (or other devices or paperwork) on vacation.
Be patient. Healing workaholism requires patience and time.
Get assistance. Reach out for help from professionals or consider residential treatment at a work addiction recovery center. The main task in treating workaholics is the same as in other addictions: helping them reconnect with their feelings, which can be a slow and difficult process. But recovery is possible.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
