The Day I Learned About My Workaholism with Humility

Studies consistently establish a link between work addiction and detrimental effects on physical and mental health and conflicts between work and personal life.

In a recent piece, I explored six common instances of empty goals, one of which was around the relentless pursuit of wealth without a clear purpose. The idea of amassing great riches enticed me with the promise of security, comfort, and the chance to relish a luxurious life.

However, I found myself contemplating the underlying reasons fueling my quest for wealth and whether they truly harmonize with my deeper and more purposeful intentions.

The idea that one could be addicted to work never crossed my mind, but as it turns out, I fell into that category, as recognized by experts in the field.

I began to recognize the telltale signs as they took a toll on my health, overall well-being, and even the quality of my relationships.

Work has held a prominent place in my life for as long as I can remember. I wholeheartedly believed that “hard work pays off” and took great pride in my unwavering commitment. In my eyes, being a workaholic seemed synonymous with leading a productive and successful life.

Little did I realize that, much like any other addiction, it could stealthily sneak into my life, insidiously impacting my health, overall well-being, and the connections I held dear.

How I Learned About My Work Addiction

One day in the earlier days of our marriage, my wife decided to take our first child to her parent’s house for a few days. The reason was I had a crucial project that demanded my full attention, and the baby’s cries were disrupting my late-night or early-morning work.

During that period, my wife was on maternity leave, generously assisting my role as the sole breadwinner for our family. Her kindness and support further fueled my determination to work even harder.

After she left, on a weekday morning, my alarm went off at 5 a.m. By 6 a.m., I was already at the office feeling lonely and concerned. While driving with the energy from my early cup of coffee, I couldn’t help but notice how unusually light the traffic was.

It briefly crossed my mind that perhaps many people were not as eager as I was to start their workday this early. I judgementally thought that many complained about financial difficulties and living with an unemployment pension in this country, opportunities abound.

Normally, there were a few early birds who beat me to the office, but on that day, it was a different story. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease and confusion. Why was the office so empty today?

To investigate, I used my security badge to illuminate the 26th floor of our 35-floor building, and it became evident that something was amiss — no lights were on in the building’s other areas. More intriguingly, other large buildings had no lights either.

Suddenly, two security officers swiftly approached me, their expressions a mix of concern and suspicion. They inquired, “Is everything all right, sir? Did you leave something important in the office?” Their questions and the way they eyed me seemed perplexing, almost as if they suspected me of some wrongdoing.

I couldn’t help but express my confusion, “Why are you asking? I came to work like any other day. What’s going on today?” Then, the female officer kindly explained, “Sir, today is a public holiday — it’s Anzac Day, and the city’s ceremonies are set to commence in two hours.”

A wave of embarrassment and humiliation washed over me as I realized my obliviousness to one of Australia’s most significant days, all due to my work obsession.

The officers couldn’t help but chuckle, and one of them reassured me, “Don’t be too hard on yourself, sir. We’ve encountered quite a few workaholics like you, so you’re not alone in this.”

Their kindness and attempt to lighten the mood were clear, but deep down, I understood that my situation was far from normal and certainly unhealthy. It was no surprise that I had been grappling with chronic stress and the toll it took on my body, leading to inflammation during those days.

A few days later, I confided in my mentor, who was a psychotherapist, someone who greatly valued work-life balance. With kindness, she pointed out the irregularities in my work habits, emphasizing the excessively long hours I was dedicated to work and the toll it was exacting on my health.

It was a surprising wake-up call, one I hadn’t seen coming, and it compelled me to confront the stark reality of my work addiction and passionately defeat my workaholism.

Hard Lessons Learned

The weight of this realization hit me like a ton of bricks on that Anzac day with embarrassed moments. I started to truly comprehend the physical and mental toll my work addiction had exacted. Sleep troubles had crept in, intensifying my anxiety and leaving me constantly drained and fatigued.

My relationships had suffered, stretched thin by my relentless work focus. The things that truly held meaning in life had been pushed to the sidelines. The relentless pursuit of success had inadvertently blurred the line between ambition and obsession, and it became abundantly clear that a change was long overdue.

Acknowledging the work addiction marked the initial step, but the path to recovery was an ongoing and evolving process. It entailed setting boundaries and making self-care a top priority.

I redefined my priorities and introduced regular breaks to reclaim a healthy work-life balance. Finding support from friends and family and even seeking professional counseling played pivotal roles in my ongoing recovery journey.

Using mindfulness techniques and daily meditation, gradually yet firmly, I began to take the reins of my life back, purposefully carving out time for personal growth, rediscovering hobbies, and, above all, facilitating the critical relationships that had taken a back seat for far too long.

The consequences of this transformative journey were profound. Not only did I witness enhancements in my physical and mental health, but my relationships also began to heal. Life felt more enjoyable, and everything looked brighter and more meaningful.

It became evident that genuine success wasn’t measured in excessive hours worked but in the quality of that work and in finding a balance that fostered personal and professional growth without compromising overall well-being.

In the corporate world that romanticizes workaholism, it’s of utmost importance to detect the signs of work addiction in its early stages.

Establishing clear boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and reaching out for support are essential actions that pave the way for a more balanced, enriching work-life equilibrium.

My journey underscored a fundamental truth: success should never be sought at the sacrifice of our health, well-being, happiness, and the treasured connections we forge with others.

It’s a reminder that the true essence of achievement lies not just in professional accomplishments but in the harmonious blend of personal growth, contentment, and nurturing the relationships that enrich our lives.

What is work addiction, and why does it matter?

Work addiction, also known as workaholism, is a behavioral addiction characterized by an excessive and compulsive need to work and a preoccupation with work-related activities.

People with work addiction exhibit traits like excessive work, neglect of other areas in life which cause work-life imbalance, difficulty in delegating, setting too high goals, causing health and well-being problems.

Most importantly, when not working, workaholics may experience withdrawal-like symptoms, like restlessness, anxiety, or dissatisfaction as I did.

From my observations and experience, workaholics work long hours and may find it difficult to disconnect from work, even during personal time. They tend to neglect other important life areas, such as family, social relationships, and self-care, in favor of work.

I noticed that some people feel compelled to work, driven by an inner urge or compulsion rather than genuine enjoyment or necessity. Some workaholics in my circles have physical and mental health problems, including stress, anxiety, and burnout. Achieving a healthy work-life balance is challenging for them, as they prioritize work above all else.

Some have exceptionally high standards for their work performance and may struggle with perfectionism. They may have trouble delegating tasks or responsibilities to others and prefer to handle everything themselves.

While a strong work ethic and dedication to our job are generally positive attributes, work addiction represents an unhealthy and unbalanced relationship with work. It can have adverse effects on our well-being and personal relationships.

An Overview of Work Addiction from the Literature

I read countless studies about behavioral addictions. The most common were food, drinking, drugs, smoking, gambling, gaming, social media, and TV addictions. They are all widely recognized. However, work addiction is still being studied, and we don’t have conclusive ideas about it.

Even though some think that it is an addictive disorder, work addiction is not yet officially listed as a disorder in DSM5 or ICD11. However, it has been a topic of interest for a long time.

Modern life requires most of us to work to earn our living unless we inherit from our parents or relatives, win the lotto, or have other luck factors in our lives. Therefore, we spend a lot of time at work, and apart from financial security, it can bring rewards like money and recognition.

However, these rewards might lead to overworking, negatively affecting our health and happiness. Therefore, researchers are looking into work addiction to understand it better. One of the focus areas related to work addiction is personality.

A literature review in 2014 informed that workaholism research has witnessed substantial growth in the past two decades, leading to the development of various screening tools to identify individuals afflicted by this phenomenon.

As the researcher identified, remarkably, most of these instruments lack a clear theoretical foundation, rendering them disparate and lacking in convergent validity with each other and related constructs.

Extensive research consistently establishes a link between workaholism, adverse impacts on health and overall well-being, and conflicts between one’s professional and family life.

The paper concluded that “The origins and perpetuation of workaholism appear multifaceted, although empirical support for proposed precursors remains scarce. Notably, there are currently no widely validated interventions specifically designed to address workaholism.”

Then, a 2021 meta-analysis, despite its limitations, has shed light on the role of personality in work addiction. It’s found that personality factors explain only a small part of work addiction.

Specifically, traits like perfectionism, self-esteem, and negative emotions show strong and consistent links with work addiction. Among the Big Five personality traits, higher levels of extraversion, conscientiousness, and intellect/imagination are associated with a higher work addiction risk.

Interestingly, gender and age don’t seem to play a significant role in this relationship. While traits like anxiety, obsessive-compulsiveness, and Type A personality do show some connection to work addiction, there’s limited evidence on these dimensions, and more research is needed to understand them better in the context of work addiction.

Another 2021 integrative review in Portuguese comprehensively examined the scientific evidence available in the literature concerning the correlation between workaholism and the quality of life.

Conducted as an integrative review, the search encompassed prominent databases, including MEDLINE, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, Web of Science, and Scopus.

The findings consistently affirmed the connection between workaholism and the quality of life, underscoring the detrimental impact of workaholism on the well-being of workers.

A 2022 cross-cultural study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic examined workaholism across European and Asian cultures.

The study included 2,617 participants, ranging from 18 to 80 years of age, from three Asian countries (China, India, and Indonesia) characterized by higher collectivistic values and three European nations (Bulgaria, Germany, and Hungary), assumed to embody higher individualistic values.

To assess workaholism, participants completed an online version of the Dutch Workaholism Scale. The primary objective was to elucidate how cultural contexts mediate and shape changes in workaholic attitudes during the pandemic.

The findings underscored that the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on workaholism and workaholic behaviors is contingent on cultural and gender disparities and distinct phases of the human life cycle.

The analysis revealed that cultural distinctions and gender play a pivotal role in the composition of workaholism (both excessive and compulsive).

In the Asian cohort, unlike the European one, there was a substantial surge in compulsive workaholism. Furthermore, European female participants reported higher levels of compulsive and excessive workaholism, although this gender difference was not observed in the Asian sample.

Alongside cultural and gender influences, age also impacts the configuration of workaholism, with varying stages of the human life cycle contributing differently to alterations in the levels of excessive and compulsive workaholism.

Conclusions

Work addiction is a subject of increasing concern in our society, with research highlighting its multifaceted impact on our health, well-being, and work-life balance.

Studies emphasize the importance of considering personality traits, cultural contexts, and age-related differences in understanding and addressing work addiction.

Work addiction is gaining attention as a behavioral addiction alongside more recognized addictions like food, gambling, and gaming.

However, work addiction is not officially classified as a disorder in diagnostic manuals like DSM-5 or ICD-11, but it remains a subject of interest due to its relevance in modern life.

Research suggests that personality traits such as perfectionism, self-esteem, and negative emotions are strongly associated with work addiction. While personality traits significantly contribute to work addiction, gender and age appear to play minor roles in this relationship.

Cultural contexts, gender, and age play a pivotal role in the manifestation of work addiction, and more research is needed to understand the nuances in different cultural settings.

Extensive research consistently establishes a link between workaholism and detrimental effects on physical and mental health, as well as conflicts between work and personal life.

I firmly believe that the cornerstone of a meaningful life resides in establishing purposeful goals that not only enhance our personal development but also harmonize with our fundamental values.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

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I publish my health and wellness stories on EUPHORIA. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness. Be Your Own Therapist in 10 Steps.

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