Workaholism. An enduring, compulsive drive to keep going. Workaholism is not a constructive way to live — those with this unusual drive risk burnout, coronary disease and even early death.
“Workaholism involves an inner compulsion to work, having persistent thoughts about work, experiencing negative emotions when not working, and working beyond what is reasonably expected.” — Malissa A. Clark and Rachel Williamson Smith 1
Yet, can you be a workaholic between stretches of quality downtime? Can you still be considered a workaholic if you find enjoyment and purpose in your work? Or a sense of progress?
Workaholism is often close friends with strain and burnout. So what happens when you're not feeling the strain? Your work aligns with your values, and you can opt-in and out of what you do. What works for me? To chip away at projects when I feel like it. Occasionally I set the odd arbitrary deadline, but this doesn't happen often. Be like a marathon runner, with the odd pace increase to keep things interesting.
The Gentle Art of Chilling Between Bouts of Intense Work
I'm lucky to have had plenty of time and space to relax and unwind. While this wasn't by choice, I am fortunate to have the economic means to do so. Yet even when relaxing, my mind is on work. Yes, even an unemployed bum like me can conjure something to keep me busy. In this case, it is working on my publication or bouncing around with a few ideas. It's hardly hard work — it is a pleasant distraction between bouts of Crossy Road and Netflix. I get to drop off and pick up my son from his school bus stop. I savour these moments. Now that the sun is starting to come out, the weather is getting warmer, and COVID lockdowns have eased in Sydney. So I have taken it upon myself to do an old-man shuffle around the block and dust off my gym equipment. As with anything challenging, the first few sessions are humbling.
So why is this article about workaholism? I came across a useful quiz on workaholism while finishing my psychology studies recently. Psychologists treat clients with a variety of presentations, including perfectionism and anxiety. This anxiety might be specific or generalised. Other clients may have depression or perhaps struggle to adjust to a new stage in life. Should work be a theme that runs through the client's presentation, psychologists need to look for work-themed instruments. The client's answers provide fodder for discussion about the client's working context.
The Importance of Work in Our Lives
Work is indeed a big part of our lives… well, most of us are lucky to be employed at times. Or those like me who eagerly await the next gig and know it's only a matter of time. My new gig starts on Monday, and I expect it will keep me out of mischief and away from writing these articles for a while. During my time away from work, I enjoyed catching up with two people I know pretty well. One is a colleague and the other a long-standing friend. Being super-relaxed and having no work challenges whatsoever, I had nothing but attention for their work problems. Sure enough, it was clear to me that work is a multi-headed beast posing plenty of challenges. From interpersonal and intrapersonal difficulties to resource constraints and even to existential questions. I very much enjoyed these conversations, and they did there into other topics like family, pets and holidays.
Many of you reading this article may be from busy professional backgrounds, including projects. I have a bit of a theory that project professionals have a bit of adrenaline junkie in them. Some project leaders I have met function at a very high level yet suffer from anxiety or perfection issues.
So… Are you a Workaholic?
So I thought this would be an opportunity to share a validated workaholism quiz with you. This would be the type of quiz I might consider providing particular clients. The answers you provide are not a definitive and permanent label of workaholism-or lack thereof. I find these types of quizzes helpful as they often become the basis for discussion. Some quizzes let you compare your answer to a normed population. This way, you can see your percentile score to understand how "severe" or "strong" your score is compared with a population of your peers. These tests are known as psychometric tests and take incredible effort to arrive at this normed population. Yet normed populations are unnecessary if you take your scores with a grain of salt and use it as the basis for discussion with the professional or personal reflection.
I took the online form of this test. Scoring 59 out of a possible 80 puts me in the top 25% of people's scores in the test provider's database.
This score indicates you have very high levels of workaholism. Your score indicates you have trouble maintaining a balance between your work and your life, and you have likely been called a “workaholic” by friends and family members (or self-identify as a workaholic).
Based on our research, your level of workaholism may ultimately result in negative physical or mental health outcomes, as well as reduced relationship quality. We highly recommend that consider implementing some strategies to “turn off” work (e.g., do not answer work emails after a certain time, plan a fun individual or family activity and make sure to leave your phone at home). Sometimes, it helps to talk to someone (e.g., friend, therapist) in order to understand how your workaholism may be affecting you and others around you, and to develop additional strategies for fostering a healthier balance between your work and life.
— University of Georgia Multidimensional Workaholism Scale
Maybe. The test is a self-report, so it accounts for my take on the world and no one else's. Although I'm hesitant to ask anyone as I worry about what their answer might be! This quiz looked at workaholism from four components: motivation, thoughts, emotions and behaviours. I don’t get emotional about it when I can’t work, even breathing a sigh of relief. Switching off mentally proves a challenge though.
I know I get bored easily. But there's another thing serving as a protective factor, helping me avoid burnout, strain or other adverse effects from work. My family is used to my losing track of time when I'm immersed in a work-related puzzle. They know I can hyper-focus and can see the nerdy glee I get from this all-consuming attention on one topic. I may forget what day it is or be blithely unaware of what is going on around me. My family take it in their stride. My son takes after me this way — this double-edged sword is something he needs to learn to manage.
Family… a big factor in the adverse effects of workaholism
I'm grateful for this factor. My weird and wonderful working habits don't upset the family applecart… most of the time. How about you?
Source: http://www.waferlab.org/uploads/4/3/0/6/43063187/work_and_family_behavioral_role_conflict.pdf
If you feel the strain from an intense work ethic or a workload that you think you can't manage, there are ways to help you overcome your current challenges.
Work ethic is a matter of perspective. If your work ethic causes you distress or impairment in certain domains of your life, then you need to call it out, then do something constructive about it. The same litmus test applies to any mental health condition, adjustment to life’s stressors, or relationship dynamic.
Properly harnessed, a strong work ethic is a powerful life force. I gain strength from engaging in work close to my strongest values. Persistence, or an industrious streak, can be one of these values. High levels of grittiness give you the physical stamina and long-term mental resolve to keep going. Like physical endurance, mental endurance can be developed through conditioning. Take on a difficult challenge, overcome it, then choose another one. Ensure each challenge aligns with your personal values.
Knowing yourself is a powerful thing. Being clear on your values helps you choose job roles and craft your work to align with a stronger sense of purpose. Clarity on your personality traits and potential career derailers might provide perspective on your drive to work and how you might cope with work stressors.
I hope that through this article, you can see how much of a workaholic you are (self-reported!), assess related family dynamics and understand ways to unpick the adverse effects of workaholism.
Reference
Clark MA, Smith RW, Haynes NJ. The Multidimensional Workaholism Scale: Linking the conceptualisation and measurement of workaholism. J Appl Psychol. 2020;105(11):1281–1307. doi:10.1037/apl0000484
Other references are linked in the article.
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