When Achievement Turns into Work Addiction

How often are the following statements true for you?

• I seem to be in a hurry and racing against the clock.

• I feel guilty when I am not studying [working on] something.

• It's hard for me to relax when I am not studying [working].

• I spend more time studying [working] than socializing with friends or hobbies or leisure activities.

The more accurate these (and 21 other) statements remind you of yourself, the more likely you are a workaholic, according to Dr. Bryan E. Robinson (1998) in his book Chained to the Desk.

Focused on his studies, a student sits indoors with stacks of books, as his friends enjoy a sunny day outside in the background.

Dr. Robinson was capturing the attitudes of post-college adults in the throes of family and work, but as you can see from the statements above, it can just as easily apply to a college student, or even a high school student.

In our faced-paced, goal-driven, more-is-better society, it is very easy to become a workaholic at any age.  There is ample literature out there that suggests a link between increased workaholism and burnout (especially if the work you are doing is out of alignment with who you are).

Take a moment, pause, reflect, and answer those questions. If you score high, are there places where you can relax a little bit? Find one thing you can do each day to acknowledge and combat your work addiction.