5 Ways to Recognise Your Workaholism

Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

Being a workaholic can take quite a toll on your body and mind. But most of the time, a workaholic won't recognise them as symptoms. A workaholic's obsession with work is usually seen as a hard worker's love for working. But a hard worker and a workaholic are two different things. Here are 5 ways to recognize whether you are a workaholic. 

1* Conversation

When with friends and family, what topic is you're favourite to discuss? If all you can talk about is work, your boss, your colleagues, the piles of paperwork on your desk, or how much you have left to do- you are, yes, a workaholic, and your existence has been built to revolve around your job!

2* Who Are Your Friends?

Are your friends all from the office? Study suggests that workaholics are not able to sustain long-term relationships with people outside of the office. If your sole friends are from the office, if most of your relations lead back to the office- sorry to say, my friend- you are a workaholic.

3* Control

Something most workaholics suffer from- giving up control. Workaholics are uncomfortable handing out tasks to other people from the belief that they can do it in the best way possible. Study has suggested that narcissism and workaholism are linked- this is probably it. 

4* Smartphone Attachment Disorder

The abbreviation is SAD- and so is the situation. Workaholism forces you to always feel like you need to be up to date, even if there aren't things to be up to date with. The phone is your constant refuge, where the click of a button can lead you back to work. 

5* I'm Not Sick

I remember being a workaholic, and I remember coming to work with the pain of acute appendicitis. Yes, it is exactly as insane as it sounds. But this is why workaholism can be unhealthy. If you are ill and your body needs rest, you must force yourself to give your body the respect it deserves. If you don't, your workaholism will lead to nothing good. 

These are signs of something much larger than just loving work; workaholism can kill your spirit, creativity and keep your mental and physical health under constant pressure. Even though it will be difficult at first, take it from me- you need that break. And you need it now. Go and get it!