5 Warning Signs You Could Be A Workaholic—And When To Take A Breather If You Are

We already dedicate a significant amount of time to work and make enormous sacrifices for our careers, yet many employers still expect more. How do we know when enough is enough in the workplace? 

Our society thrives on a culture of excessive production – more money, bigger companies, and harder work are all seen as better. None of these things are objectively bad, in fact, many times, these are the type of characteristics that are celebrated about America. But there is a point where this ideological system can become toxic and negative. Working employees to the point of extreme exhaustion, deteriorating health, or loss of personal time are where we need to draw the line. 

ScienceDaily defines a workaholic as someone who is addicted to their work. More specifically, it’s someone who works so obsessively they often have to be told to stop, has anxiety when they’re not working, and uses work to fulfill feelings of self-confidence. According to a 2014 Forbes article, workaholics are more likely to be compliant, anxiety-prone, action-oriented, and intellectual individuals. They’re also more likely to be younger professionals. If you resonate with any of these attributes, you could be susceptible to becoming a workaholic. 

The Five Warning Signs

1. Work negatively impacts your mental, physical, and emotional health.

If you’re consistently staying up all night, skipping meals, and canceling plans to meet deadlines and fulfill work demands, this statement could apply to you. If you find yourself in a constant state of anxiety or fear of failing at your job, then you may need to reevaluate your work-life balance. Of course, there are times when work can be stressful or challenging, but your daily workload is meant to be sustainable and doable. 

2. You never say “no” to work.

Refusing to say “no” in the workplace can very quickly set you on a path to workaholism. While it may feel uncomfortable or even wrong to turn down a work request, saying “no” is a sign of maturity and can be critical in establishing boundaries. If you’re unable to say “no,” you may find yourself making personal sacrifices and realigning your priorities to fit your overpacked schedule. This is very problematic behavior because it shows that you let work take precedence over everything in your life. 

Workaholism has been coined “the addiction of this century.”

3. You try to hide the amount of work you’re doing from other people.

The minute that other people in your life notice that you’re overworking, a red flag should be waving in your head. And if you’re trying to justify why you need to work extra long or claim it’s “just a one-time thing for tonight,” but you’re really hiding the truth, then you’re truly in trouble. The amount of work that you have should never need to be a secret.

4. You tie your self-worth to your job.

Basing your self-worth on work will quickly lead you into workaholism. Your motivation to work should stem from positive emotions such as wanting to help others or self-improve or support your family. You should leave work (most days) feeling positive and confident – if you don’t, you could belong to a toxic work environment. If your motivation to work stems from an urge to diminish negative feelings like anxiety, guilt, or depression, rather than a motivation to fulfill positive ones, then you could be a workaholic. 

5. Even if you aren’t working, you’re obsessively thinking about work.

When you’re off the clock, do anything but think about work. Constantly thinking about work never gives your mind the break it truly needs. Just like how it’s unprofessional to bring personal life into the workplace, it’s inappropriate and even disrespectful to others to bring work life into the home. Learn how to compartmentalize your thoughts and turn off your work brain.

These five warning signs are not the only ones out there to diagnose a workaholic. But if you find yourself agreeing with many or all of these statements, you could have overworking tendencies. 

The Workaholic Woman

Does gender play a role in whether someone is a workaholic? Several studies claim that it could. One reported that 57% of women feel burnt out and stressed at work while only 48% of men share this feeling. Social scientists hypothesize that women are more susceptible to being overworked because they’re more agreeable than men, causing them to overpack their schedules, never say “no,” and fall victim to hustle culture. 

To be blunt, there’s a double standard that exists in our culture surrounding the work habits of men vs. women. We commend men who are high achievers and hard workers because they’re historically seen as the breadwinners. Yet, when a woman works long hours, she’s often viewed as a neglectful mother or wife who puts her career ahead of her family. In a way, it’s more acceptable for men to be workaholics than it is for women. However, some argue that working women are workaholics by default even if they work strictly 9-5. Women come home from one job to immediately begin a new one – being a wife and mother.

“Workaholics have a psychological need to overcompensate for feelings of inferiority, and women are filled with insecurities.” – The Washington Post

While our perspective on women in the workplace has changed to be more inclusive, our expectation of women in the home has not. Meaning, while many more women occupy the professional space than they did 50 years ago, they’re still expected to be attentive wives and mothers as if this were their only job. One of these expectations needs to be adjusted to allow women to have more of a work-life balance. There are only so many hours in the day, and not even close to all of them should be spent on work.

When To Take a Breather

Knowing when to stop working and start relaxing can be difficult, especially if your office is plagued by toxic overworking culture and impossible expectations. However, taking breaks is critical to your health and professional productivity.

Research has shown that people who work over 50 hours per week are more likely to suffer from mental and/or physical health consequences. Some articles go so far as to claim that mental labor can be just as taxing on your health as physical labor, emphasizing the importance of taking a step away. If you’re sitting at a desk with your eyes glued to a computer screen for hours upon hours of the day and night, naturally your joints will ache and your mind will fatigue. Not only can overworking take a serious toll on your health, but it also hinders productivity. Taking breaks from your desk has been scientifically proven to relieve stress, reset your focus, and prevent burnout, making you an overall more productive employee. 

Today, with the introduction of remote working, employees find it harder than ever to walk away from their computer screens. Many studies have found that people are working longer and harder than they did before the pandemic because the boundaries between work and home have been blurred. According to research conducted by a Los Angeles staffing firm, “70 percent of professionals who transitioned to remote work because of the pandemic say they now work on the weekends, and 45 percent say they regularly work more hours during the week than they did before.”

With professional and personal lives morphed into the same context, it has become increasingly difficult for employees to escape from work, leading to possibly higher rates of workaholism. Voice your concerns to your boss if you’re feeling that remote work is interfering with your personal life and weighing you down. It’s a mutual responsibility to ensure that boundaries are respected. 

Closing Thoughts

I hope I’ve broken the misconception that workaholics are just people who work a lot. Workaholism is a real condition that plagues many professionals, and it can have serious mental, physical, and emotional consequences. Of course, there may be times in your career when you have to work longer than the average employee. Or there could be times when work stress lingers with you after the workday is over, but the problem starts when you allow work to control your life. If any of the mentioned warning signs are a reality in your life, seek counseling, join a support group, or have a conversation with your employer about how to set boundaries in the workplace.

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