Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Are you a workaholic?

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In Five Signals that You May Be a Workaholic, an article by Dana Mattioli for Career Journal.com,, she outlines several criteria to help determine if you are, indeed, a workaholic, or if you are just doing your job.  The criteria:

  1. You are preoccupied with work.  You are always dwelling on your job and can’t “turn it off” in social situations.
  2. You don’t like to delegate.  This is a control issue.  You’re afraid that letting someone else take responsibility would indicate that other people can actually get the job done.
  3. You neglect other parts of your life.  Family and social relationships suffer because you are so immersed with work.
  4. You try to combine work into other parts of your life.  For example, you hire friends or relatives to work for you or use vacations as opportunities to pursue work activities.
  5. You sneak work! (Like one might sneak chocolate to avoid sharing it with one’s children…Not that I would know anything about that personally.)

The New York Times weighs in as well.  Their column, When Hard Work Becomes Overwork,by Phyllis Korkki, touches on the similarities between workaholics and alcoholics.  She describes stress and mental and physical damage (to workaholics and their employees).  Workaholics aren’t even necessarily more productive than other workers.  In fact, they may inadvertently be creating the problems they thought they were solving “to provide the endless thrill of more work.”

So,  here you are, giving your lifeblood to your career, sacrificing everything – relationships, hobbies, free time – and your organization may actually think that you are the problem!  Sad, but true.

It may be time to reevaluate.  Look at yourself and your work objectively.  If you are a workaholic, it may be time to step back and make some changes  You may need some professional help to overcome a work addiction..  Is a new career in order?  Maybe.  Evaluating your options and reviewing your resume can’t hurt. A transfer or new assignment may be in order. If this sounds like you, the new year is a perfect time to think about making a change.

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