Workaholic: Theory, Signs, Problems & How to Overcome It

Workaholism is more prevalent now than you would imagine. Due to the current pandemic, more individuals are experiencing this behavior without realizing it. Because of the pandemic restrictions, the majority of the workforce is urged to work from home.

Furthermore, the concept of workaholic has taken on a whole new meaning in today’s digital age. Digital technology such as computers allows individuals to work virtually from anywhere, at any time.

The distinction between work and leisure is blurred with the advancement of technology and the ability to work from home. Many individuals may feel obliged to work past their normal working hours.

The constant connectivity through email and messaging apps, even on weekends and holidays, has blurred the lines between work and personal time. This ‘always-on’ culture can lead to increased work-related stress and physical health issues, severely disrupting work-life balance. However, understanding your unique strengths through assessments like the HIGH5 test can be a powerful tool in navigating these challenges. By identifying your core strengths, you can learn to leverage them effectively, potentially reducing stress and creating a more balanced approach to work and life.

What is workaholism, and how can you identify a workaholic? What are the different signs and negative implications of workaholism? And how to treat or overcome workaholism? We will help you to answer all these questions in this article.

What is Workaholism?

Most people confuse workaholism with working long hours or extra hard. However, this is not the case. Workaholism is an addiction. It is a mental health problem similar to alcoholism and drug abuse.

The psychologist Wayne E. Oates introduced the term “workaholic” in 1971. He defined workaholism as “an irrepressible drive to work ceaselessly,” like an addiction. Workaholics have an obsession with work. When they are not working, they will persistently think about work and feel uncomfortable and anxious.

Workaholism is frequently associated with working long hours. But the two are different from one another. You can work long hours without becoming consumed by your work. And you can become preoccupied with your work even though you are working less than 35 hours per week.

Workaholism, like alcoholism, is a compulsion that can severely impact our lives and well-being. However, being effective at work isn’t about the sheer volume of hours worked, but rather about meaningful engagement and the ability to disengage when needed. This is where understanding your strengths becomes crucial. The HIGH5 strengths assessment can help you identify your natural talents, allowing you to focus on tasks that align with these strengths. This approach not only enhances your productivity but also increases job satisfaction, potentially reducing the compulsion to overwork. By leveraging your strengths, you can achieve a more balanced and fulfilling work life.

Pro Tip From HIGH5

Harness your strengths to work smarter, not harder. Use the insights from your HIGH5 strengths assessment to restructure your work approach. Focus on tasks that align with your top strengths to increase efficiency and job satisfaction, naturally reducing the urge to overwork.

7 Signs of Workaholism

1. Feel as if you’re not doing enough
2. Feel guilty about taking a break
3. Feel stressed out from not working
4. Interrupted sleep
5. Inability to reject other’s request
6. Don’t have any hobbies outside of work
7. First one in the office and last one to leave

Feel as if You’re Not Doing Enough

Whether you are working a full-time job or on your side business, you should have time to get off work. There are only 24 hours in a day, and everyone spends their 24 hours differently. A typical workday for most people is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m (a 40-hours workweek).

But, for workaholics, it’s usually more than that. Basically, they spend the majority of their 24 hours working non-stop. Even though you are hitting all cylinders at work and others are proud of what you’ve achieved, it is still not enough for you.

Many workaholics believe that achieving their goals will eliminate all fears and uncertainties. However, this often leads to a cycle of perpetual dissatisfaction, regardless of achievements. A more effective approach is to understand and leverage your innate strengths. The HIGH5 strengths assessment can reveal your unique talents, helping you set more meaningful, strength-aligned goals. By focusing on what you naturally excel at, you’re more likely to find fulfillment in your work, breaking the cycle of constant dissatisfaction. This strengths-based approach can help you appreciate your achievements and find a healthier balance between striving for success and maintaining well-being.

Feel Guilty about Taking a Break

Accomplishments are a key part of any performance review. They show that you’re capable of meeting or exceeding expectations.

When writing about your accomplishments, be specific about what you achieved and how it benefited the company or team.

If possible, quantify your results. For example, “increased sales by 25%” or “improved on-time shipping rate from 85% to 98%.”

Include details about who was involved and the team’s role in achieving your results. Share long-term and short-term goals that you met, as well as a timeline for when these accomplishments were achieved.

Feel Guilty about Taking a Break

You feel tempted to work more to keep yourself feeling busy when working from home. Working from home may tempt you to keep yourself occupied with work, even during your free time.

And besides, you may wonder how you can use the free time you have more productively? You may even feel ashamed and use your spare time to work, even if you have no pressing tasks to be done.

Recognizing that work is never-ending can assist you in distancing yourself from working extra hours unnecessarily. Your project will still be there, waiting for you to complete it tomorrow.

Feel Stressed Out from Not Working

Workaholics often feel anxious when they don’t have much to do. They may feel that they are wasting time or not living their lives to the maximum if they do not have a list of things to do.

Most workaholics experience worry and restlessness when they leave their jobs. Working makes them feel at ease, in control, and stable. They feel something is missing or weird if they are not spending their time on work.

Even when they don’t have much free time, workaholics would rather work than allow themselves time to relax.

Interrupted Sleep

It’s not unexpected that you bring your work to bed if you’re a workaholic. Research has shown that the blue light from your screen has a detrimental influence on your circadian rhythms.

Misalignment of circadian rhythms can cause many negative impacts on your health and make it more difficult for you to fall asleep. When you are spending most of your time working, your hours of sleep are reduced.

Your mind is so occupied with work to the point that you will sacrifice your sleep to get your work done.

Inability to Reject Other’s Request

Are you a yes man? Or will you politely reject someone who asks for your help at work? If you are saying yes to anyone who approached you for help, you might want to reconsider your position on this matter.

Before you excitedly say ‘yes’ to someone, consider how much extra time you will need to accomplish the work. Also, remind yourself only to accept work relevant to your expertise and experience.

It’s critical to recognize when you’re overstretching yourself or working on projects that are not aligned with your career goals. That is one simple approach to prevent overworking oneself and working extra.

Don’t Have Any Hobbies Outside of Work

When you answer “I enjoy working,” when asked about what you do for enjoyment, something is wrong. It shows that you obsess with work to the point that you have no time or interest in pursuing other activities outside of work.

To workaholics, there is no such thing as free time. They are always available for their colleagues and are prepared to return to work when asked. Many workaholics lead and design systems in ways that others continuously require them at work.

They tend to micromanage and delegate ineffectively because they don’t want to rely on their team members. And, they intentionally fill their free time with business activities, leaving them with no time to spend with their loved ones or hobbies.

First One in the Office and Last One to Leave

The habit of reaching the office early is beneficial to you. With fewer interruptions, you will have more time to focus on the more critical work tasks and give you a good head start for the day.

But it becomes a problem if you are the first to reach the office and the last to leave. Working too much may be harmful to your health and productivity. If you notice yourself overworking 50-60 hours per week, you need to slow down and relax.

Treatment and How to Overcome Workaholics

Workaholism is a serious condition that requires prompt attention and effective solutions. One of the most powerful ways to overcome this tendency is through increased self-awareness, particularly regarding your natural strengths and how you apply them at work. The HIGH5 strengths assessment offers a comprehensive tool for this self-discovery process. By understanding your unique strengths profile, you can identify when you’re working from a place of genuine engagement versus compulsive behavior. This awareness allows you to restructure your work approach, focusing on tasks that align with your strengths and bring you genuine satisfaction. As a result, you may find yourself naturally reducing excessive work hours as you become more efficient and fulfilled in your role.

Keep track of the time you spend at work and be aware of when your work is affecting your personal life. Practice detachment from work and establishing clear boundaries between work and personal time can help you achieve a work-life balance and avoid being a workaholic.

Here are a few ways that you can consider adopting to your life to overcome workaholism:

1. Determine your ‘stop time’ for work and commit to it
2. Plan your after-work activities once your workday ends
3. Make time to spend with your loved ones, such as friends and family members
4. If all else fails, talk to a therapist or counselor

Determine your ‘stop time’ for work and commit to it

Having a stop time makes you pause for some time before resuming work the next day. It might also help you in creating time to rest and rejuvenate. Setting a stop time and sticking to it can be extremely challenging for someone with a compulsive desire to work.

However, this may be a blessing in disguise for you. Because of the shorter working hours, you may find ways to work smarter and more efficiently. Wouldn’t that be a much better way of doing things if a task can be completed more efficiently with less time?

You may be thinking that this is about forsaking work and taking shortcuts to complete your tasks in a faster way.

But no, this is about making you more focused, using your time more intentionally, and getting rid of nonsense to reclaim your life.

Plan your after-work activities once your workday ends

A workout session, having a walk in the park, journalling, or cooking dinner are some examples of the activities you can do after work.

Establishing an after-work routine may help workaholics develop a healthy lifestyle that can keep them healthy. When you find interesting activities outside of work, they can be a healthy distraction for you.

Make time to spend with your loved ones, such as friends and family members

You can set a reminder or mark it on your calendar ahead of time, so you don’t forget. Spending time to connect with the important people in your life brings you many benefits. It can help you strengthen your relationships with them and improve your mental health.

If all else fails, talk to a therapist or counselor

They can help you gain a deeper understanding of your compulsive desire to work. They will also work together with you to develop interventions to reduce the negative impacts of overworking. If you have an underlying mental health issue, they can assist you in designing a treatment plan that is appropriate for you.

Pro Tip From HIGH5

Use your strengths as a compass for work-life balance. Regularly refer to your HIGH5 strengths profile when evaluating your work habits. If you find yourself overworking on tasks that don’t align with your strengths, it may be a sign to reassess and realign your responsibilities or approach.

Workaholism and Health Problems

Research conducted by Lieke ten Brummelhuis and Nancy P. Rothbard reveals two key findings. First, in terms of health implications, working long hours is not as harmful as demonstrating being obsessed with work.

It is found that when working 70 hours or more a week, individuals may find it difficult to detach from work. Furthermore, they are less likely to engage in activities such as exercise or get adequate quality sleep.

Nevertheless, it appears that our thoughts about work have a greater influence on our well-being and health than the number of hours we work. The second major takeaway from the study is that workaholics who enjoy their work have lower health-related risks than non-engaged workaholics.

This could be due to their perception that their work is meaningful and worthy of their sacrifice and effort.

Nonetheless, whether the individual is an engaged or non-engaged workaholic, they reported feeling more depressed, experiencing sleep problems, and having more health complaints than non-workaholics.

These are all evidence that workaholics’ well-being might suffer, no matter how much they enjoy their job. In summary, workaholics may experience a significant level of stress, anxiety, and sleep problems.

Under chronic stress, workaholics will start experiencing negative health effects like high blood pressure and high cortisol levels. These negative effects will put workaholics at a higher risk of being diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and even death.

Workaholism can negatively impact your relationship, resulting in feelings of loneliness or depression. In extreme cases, some workaholics may also be diagnosed with other mental health disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or bipolar disorder.

Avoiding the Negative Effects of Workaholism

You can adopt several effective ways to manage your stress and reduce major health risks. The first step is to be aware of your relationship with work. You can begin by reflecting on how work has impacted other areas of your life.

Do you have time to spend quality time with your loved ones? Do you have time to spend time doing things you love outside of work? Or do you spend most of your time doing or thinking about work? The next thing you can do is reestablish control over your behavior and thinking about work.

Setting clear boundaries on your work hours is a crucial step in avoiding the negative effects of workaholism. However, it’s equally important to ensure that the hours you do work are as productive and fulfilling as possible. This is where understanding your strengths through the HIGH5 assessment becomes invaluable. By identifying your top strengths, you can prioritize tasks that align with these natural talents, potentially increasing your efficiency and job satisfaction. This strengths-based approach allows you to accomplish more in less time, making it easier to stick to your set work hours. Moreover, when you’re engaged in work that leverages your strengths, you’re less likely to feel the need to extend your workday, naturally reinforcing your boundaries.

Having a to-do list will be extremely helpful in keeping track of the most important tasks that you need to complete for the day. You can also allocate a couple of hours a day in the evening before you sleep as your ‘me time.’

During this ‘me time,’ restrain yourself from touching any work-related stuff and get involved in doing something that you have wanted to do. It can be reading a book, learning a new skill, catching up with your friends, or trying a new recipe for dinner.

In the end, it’s all about your ability to identify your workaholism symptoms and find ways to avoid its repercussions.

Pro Tip From HIGH5

Create a strengths-based daily schedule. Use your HIGH5 assessment results to identify your peak performance times and align them with tasks that match your top strengths. This can boost your productivity within your set work hours, reducing the temptation to work overtime.

Workaholic FAQs

Is workaholism a mental illness?

While work addiction is often overlooked, it can be a genuine mental disorder. If you find yourself addicted to work, and believe that work is taking over your life and negatively affecting your mental health, then workaholism can be classified as a mental illness.

It is often rooted in positive ideas, such as discipline and dedication to work, but it can quickly turn into an unhealthy compulsion that negatively impacts your confidence and wellbeing, thus becoming a mental illness.

Is It Good To Be a Workaholic?

Being a workaholic is not something that you should be proud of. Instead, it is a serious condition that you need to find a solution to quickly.