Workaholic Part 1

For many in 2020 being employed and keeping the job was not as easy as it had been in previous years. Many people that were not workaholics before, may have become one during the year. They either had to take on extra work now that there were not as many people in the office or they had to show they were worth keeping.

Here are 7 signs you may be a workaholic:

#1: You spend more time at work than anywhere else. With 168 hours in a week and working a full-time job (40 hours), that’s only 24% of your week. If your percentage is way more than that, there may be a problem.

#2: You bring work home. Just finishing a few things up at home can easily end up adding 3 hours to your evening. There may be periods of time where this happens, but you don’t want it to become a habit. Nowadays it can be easy to just quickly check an email or a text that will drag you into hours of work at home.

#3: You work to avoid unpleasant feelings. When feelings of depression, anxiety or conflict reside at home, it can be easy to work late to avoid going home to those things. Also working hard so that you don’t feel like a failure. These are feelings that need to be worked through and discussed...perhaps see a counselor or speak to a close friend.

#4: You work for positive feelings. One of the hard things with being a workaholic is that it is rewarded. Many times you are looked at as a team player and a hard worker, which you are...but at what cost? This will leave you feeling burned out and resentful.

#5: You get stressed when you’re not working. One of the reasons you can’t stop working is because you can’t stop thinking about working. You need to learn to relax your mind and not always feel productive.

#6: You can’t remember the last time you took a break. Not just a vacation, but even a true lunch break. Breaks, long and short, are important for your physical and mental health...take them.

#7: You don’t call yourself a workaholic. Everyone else in your life can see it, but you can’t. If several of these signs hit home for you, it may be time to re-evaluate.