Some workers pride themselves on being workaholics. An obsession with work may drive better performance, but wouldn’t a little balance be nice?
Being a workaholic is, more or less, being addicted to work. It can be because you love your job, because you feel obliged to do it or there’s social pressure to be connected to work 24/7 (hello, America!). Prioritizing work over other things results in poor life balance.
And now, technological developments have made it even easier to be “at the office” when you’re away, whether it’s checking your emails, writing memos, or just stressing about what might be going on while you’re not there. It’s easy to forget to take a break.
If you suspect you might be a workaholic, here’s a handy diagnostic checklist developed by the Department of Psychosocial science at the University of Bergen in Norway:
1. You think about your schedule to try and free more time to work
2. You spend more time working what you initially planned
3. You work as a way to reduce feeling anxious, guilt, depression or helplessness
4. Others have told you to cut down on work (and you haven’t listened)
5. Your stress skyrockets if for some reason you cannot work
6. Work is a priority over exercise, leisure, hobbies and free time
7. Overworking has negatively impacted your health
If you answered “always” or “often” to a majority of these, take a look at your priorities. You might be a fully-fledged workaholic. Follow the advice of today’s infographic by letting go of stress and enjoying vacations. If you’re a work addict, why not give it a try?