Workaholism: Hazards and Benefits

Have you seen that movie Confessions of a Shopaholic? A young woman finally explains to the man she has grown to love that she is a shopaholic and that when she is shopping she feels happiest and most fulfilled. Are you a workaholic who has not yet confessed? A workaholic is someone to whom work is the most fulfilling activity in their life. Work is not only a source of income; it is an obsessive pattern of thinking and behaving. There is nothing particularly wrong with this elective lifestyle but, as with many choices we make in life, there can be unintended consequences.

The first piece of fallout for the workaholic is personal relationships. For the person who works 12 hours a day six or seven days a week there is no time left to engage in and nurture a mutually satisfying relationship. Interpersonal stress, failure to communicate, conflict over different values, and no opportunity to enjoy each other are the usual hallmarks of a relationship that has failed because one of the people is a workaholic.

People talk about workaholics as being Type A personalities. This personality type has been with us for about 60 years and emerged as a result of one medical practitioner characterizing people with elevated coronary disease as driven personalities. Sometimes called stress junkies, Type A people are competitive, time conscious, driven, work-focused, aggressive, and unable to relax. Of course, if you believe these to be good attributes, you would see no problem with this personality and you would probably agree that work is the greatest form of satisfaction in one's life. The problem comes when work becomes an obsession that significantly impairs either or both one"s health or one"s relationships.

How to Escape the Workplace Stress Trap Being a Workaholic

The first thing to do is to determine whether you are a workaholic or Type A personality. If you Google Type A you will find plenty of checklists. Here are some of the obvious characteristics: rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 6, 1 being "Rarely" and 6 being "Nearly all of the Time". We will use five criteria: extremely competitive; can"t stand being away from the workplace or working; need to be in control; find it difficult to delegate; impatient with others. This is not meant to be scientific in any way, merely illustrative of a way of behaving and thinking. if you scored 25 to 30 you are a committed workaholic; 16 to 24 fairly driven and work committed; less than 10, seriously Type B - relaxed and not driven. Eleven to 15 - nice balance.

If you are a workaholic, a stress junkie, a person caught in the workplace stress trap of workaholism, here are some thoughts for you. You often see reports that 7 out of 10 visits to a primary health physician are stress related. There is plenty of evidence that Type A personalities have a higher rate of cardiac disease and failure. Set limits to the amount of time you work. Plan your monthly calendar with three colors: green for time spent with loved ones; red for time spent working; and white for time left over. Do not become work-time obsessed. If you work at home, as many of us do with the advent of the Internet, get out of the house (the office) for a reasonable period each day. Stop and think about the importance of your life to yourself and others. Imagine what life would be like if all your family and loved ones left you and all you had left was your work (OK - if this DID NOT work for you - you are either a very self-focused person and/or you are deep in the grips of being a workaholic).

Get a sense of your priorities in life. Overcome the guilt you learned as a child - "If I am not working hard I am not a good person." Stop the big pretence that workaholics use: "I am doing this for you darling and for the children; I have to work hard to give you everything that you want." The reality is that many partners want their partner - not the things that their work-obsessed partner is able to provide.

I hope you get the picture. Being a workaholic is a very powerful workplace stress trap; and this strap builds personal stress and work stress. If you enjoy being a workaholic and you are not being self-deceptive - go ahead. Do what you love but don"t come crying to father when your world falls apart and everyone gives up on you.

Dr Jeff, a psychologist, writes about workplace stress, personal stress, interpersonal stress, and how to manage stress. On his blog, http://www.drjeffbailey.com, he answers questions from readers. He works hard to make his articles practical and helpful and all of his articles are based on sound research evidence and extensive clinical experience. Please go to his Dr Jeff blog to get your free report on stress.