Are you a hard worker? Or do you take it a step farther? Is it possible that you’re actually addicted to your work?

Researchers at the University of Bergen have investigated the nature of workaholics. Based on what they learned, they created a Work Addiction scale. According to this scale, you may be a workaholic if you always (or often) experience the following: 

  • You think about how you can free up more of your time to do work.
  • You spend more time working than you intend to.
  • You work in order to deal with feelings of helplessness, anxiety, guilt, and/or depression.
  • Others have told you that you should cut back on the amount of work that you do.
  • You feel stressed if you are unable to work.
  • You no longer participate in leisure activities that you used to enjoy.
  • You work so much that you’re making yourself physically ill.

If these statements ring true for you, then you may be a workaholic. And you might want to consider trying to adjust your lifestyle. Because even though you may feel like you’re being really productive at work, research has shown that over time, workaholics tend to become less effective and productive. They also tend to suffer from health problems, as well as feelings of isolation and dissatisfaction.

If you think you might be a workaholic, and you’d like to change your ways, start keeping track of how much time your spend working and when your work might be interfering with your personal life. Once you’re aware of the impact that your work has on your life, you can start to make some changes. For instance, you might decide that you’ll no longer check your work email after leaving the office, you’ll limit the number of hours that you spend in the office, and you’ll take regular vacations. Anything that you can do to restore your work-life balance will help you to feel healthier, happier, more relaxed, and more fulfilled.

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Morin, E. (2014, September 18). 7 signs you may be a workaholic. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/09/18/7-signs-you-may-be-a-workaholic/#379d730d70d7