Workaholic is a term that came into use in the working world in the 1970s. A workaholic is someone who immerses himself in his work and can hardly or cannot distance himself from it. The meaning of workaholic is therefore: workaholic. A workaholic is focused on performance and sets high standards for himself. This extremely heavy workload can lead to long-term health risks, both physically and psychologically. High blood pressure, obesity and burnout are just a few examples of this. Not only the health, but also the relationship of a workaholic can suffer unpleasant consequences from a workaholism. What other consequences and risks can a workaholism entail for a workaholic?
What is a workaholic?
Meaning workaholic
Workaholic is a term derived from the English words work and alcoholic. Where alcoholic stands for alcohol addict, you can loosely translate workaholic as workaholic. A workaholic is someone who is always busy with work and can hardly distance themselves from it. A workaholic has trouble focusing on anything other than work, and is hardly interested in distractions such as hobbies, sports, or friends. A workaholism can have such serious consequences that a person’s private life will suffer and contact with partner, children and/or family will dilute.
Psychic
According to American psychotherapist Bryan Robinson, workaholism is a psychological disorder. In his book ,Chained to the desk, (2014), Robinson speaks of being a workaholic as an obsessive-compulsive disorder. A workaholic cannot give up control and usually has personality traits such as perfectionism, individualism and a performance orientation. When a workaholic immerses himself in his work, he experiences a kind of buzz, just like other addictions. A workaholic sets strict standards for himself and is torn between very positive (intoxication, excitement) and very negative feelings (feelings of guilt, fear that he cannot perform his work to perfection).
Addicted to work
Addiction often involves an attachment to substances that make life easy, in other words products that provide pleasure. Consider, for example, a smoking addiction, an alcohol addiction or an addiction to drugs. These substances cause a kind of anesthesia or intoxication. However, with an addiction to work, people are attached to making efforts and achieving results. Yet even a workaholic can fall into a state of intoxication because his extreme focus on his work causes a kind of intoxication. In addition, a workaholic has a need for performance that dominates the workaholic’s daily life. In some cases, the workaholic just wants to perform and perform in order to gain favor with his superiors. A workaholic thinks that working a lot and for a long time will lead to success at work, allowing him to get promoted and move up in the company where he works.
Causes of workaholism
Confirmation
The causes of ,workaholism, can be of different origins. An unbalanced drive to perform at work may be related to a need for attention. By doing an extraordinary amount of work and achieving great results professionally, you attract attention. Sometimes one is rewarded with a bonus or a promotion, which is an affirmation of one’s skills, diligence and talent. Psychologically, this confirmation bias may be related to insecurity, a lack of self-confidence, or even an inferiority complex.
Indispensable
Another possible cause is that people overestimate their own interests. Some workaholics think they are indispensable and want to do everything themselves. This means they cannot outsource or delegate work. The idea is that if I have to explain to someone in detail how to do it, I better do it myself, because then I don’t lose time and I know for sure that the work has been done properly. Workaholics are often perfectionists who have difficulty accepting that other employees also have their value.
Forget problems
Just as some people seek peace in narcotics, workaholics seek peace in their work. As long as you are busy with your job, time passes and you are not confronted with your personal problems. Some people are not really happy in their relationship or experience difficulties in their private life. In order to forget worries as much as possible or at least push them into a forgotten corner, they focus completely on their work. Others feel out of place in this world and need a purpose to fill the void: their job. If you work so much until you fall asleep completely exhausted, you don’t have to think about your deeper feelings.
Health consequences
Physically
The possible consequences of a workaholism for a workaholic are diverse. Due to the extremely heavy pressure that a workaholic puts on himself, he can suffer from high blood pressure and heart palpitations. A workaholic usually does not take enough time to eat healthy, which means that fast food is often on the table (or on the PC/laptop). Eating too hastily and unhealthy food increases the risk of digestive problems, obesity, abdominal tension and stomach complaints (e.g. stomach ulcer). Furthermore, headaches, night sweats, sleep problems and migraines are also symptoms that often affect a workaholic. In addition, a workaholic can also become an alcoholic or become addicted to medications (e.g. tranquilizers) to take the pressure off and relax.
Psychic
Typically, workaholics suffer from feelings of guilt and anxiety because they always set the bar high. The fear of failure plays an important role in this. One of the most typical risks for a workaholic is developing burnout, a condition that means that everything becomes too much, both professionally and privately. People with burnout often describe their feelings with the expression that ,it’s over, , or in other words that they are literally and figuratively burned out. Ultimately, burnout can also lead to depression.
Sudden death
In very severe cases, a workaholic can be affected by ,karōshi,. Karōshi is a Japanese term meaning sudden death due to overwork. The workaholic is so burdened with work that there is no time to relax physically and psychologically, leading to a state of physical and mental alarm. The cause of death for a ,karōshi, is usually a stroke or heart attack.
Risk to relationships
If you are always busy with your work, there is obviously less time left for a social life. Friends and acquaintances slowly but surely feel that a relationship is fading away because of a workaholism. In this way, friendship bonds can weaken and eventually disappear, and the workaholic can feel socially isolated. The same applies to relationships in the private sphere. Workaholics often have an unhappy marriage and the risk of divorce is therefore high. Furthermore, a workaholic can also become estranged from his children and/or his parents.
Workaholism treatment
Distance
The problem of workaholism can be treated by tackling the cause of the problem, namely: learning to distance yourself from your work. Some workaholics also talk about ,kicking the habit, of their work. It is no coincidence that withdrawal (or withdrawal) is a term that is also used for other addictions. This is mainly about realizing that life does not only consist of work, but also of other things. If you no longer overwhelm yourself with work, life will continue. The company you work for won’t go bankrupt if you slow down, and you won’t lose your job if you slow down. Try to focus more on activities outside your job, such as sports, hobbies, culture and social contacts.
Distinguish
Make a distinction between work and free time in your time schedule and stick to it. Organize your work periods and your relaxation periods, and provide specific moments for your partner, your children and your friends. Also take the time to give more attention to the people you love. This way there is a greater chance of positive feedback, so that you can reconnect with your environment. When you feel some kind of satisfaction, you may gradually realize that you are not indispensable at work.
Workaholic test
How do you know if you are actually a workaholic, or maybe just a ,hard worker,? That is a question that is not so easy to answer. For example, it may seem obvious to some people that you are too attached to your work, while others may think that you simply love your job or are a very motivated worker. You could say that you are addicted to your work if you cannot distance yourself from it, and that you and/or those around you experience negative consequences. There are numerous websites on the internet where you can test whether you are a workaholic by means of a questionnaire, such as:
- Workaholic test example 1 (English)
- Workaholic test example 2 (Dutch)