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The Session: Are you a workaholic? Part 1
We won't be able to cover everything, so here's the notes! Test yourself and see where you fit in!
https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/workaholics
When does a hard worker become a workaholic?
That's the question scientists sought to answer in a 2017 study spanning 50 years of organizational psychology research on workaholism. The researchers aren't interested in “overpathologizing a common and often positive behavior such as work,” the team writes in the study.
Rather, they hope to outline the clinical characteristics of workaholics so this group can get the help they need to avoid negative downstream effects on their lives.
Workaholism isn't a new concept. In fact, minister and psychologist Wayne Oates coined the term in 1971, describing a worker who feels the “compulsion to work incessantly.”
It's a “person whose need for work has become so excessive that it creates noticeable disturbance or interference with his bodily health, personal happiness, and interpersonal relations, and with his smooth social functioning,” Oates writes.
This isn't a tiny fraction of all workers. Scientists estimate 10 percent of the United States adult population are workaholics. Researchers have seen similar numbers in Japan, Australia, South Africa, and South Korea.
To get a sense of your propensity for workaholism, you can use the Bergen Work Addiction Scale. It uses seven basic criteria to identify work addiction, where all items are scored on the following scale: (1) Never, (2) Rarely, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, and (5) Always:
You think of how you can free up more time to work.
You spend much more time working than initially intended.
You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness, and depression.
You have been told by others to cut down on work without listening to them.
You become stressed if you are prohibited from working.
You deprioritize hobbies, leisure activities, and exercise because of your work.
You work so much that it has negatively influenced your health.
If you score often or always on at least four of the seven items, it may suggest you are a workaholic.
If you find yourself edging towards workaholism — if a partner starts complaining about your work habits' strain on the relationship or you're experiencing signs of burnout — there are ways to transform your habits.
While no documented treatment for workaholism exists, there are some strategies you can try:
Recharge: Research shows long work hours alone don't necessarily hijack health and well-being. Rather, it's the inability to stop thinking about work that's problematic. Unplugging and unwinding when you're off the clock can help you replenish energy reserves to create a healthy work-life balance.
Set boundaries: Creating a clearer time to start and stop work is crucial to developing a sustainable routine. This can be especially hard while working from home or in close proximity to the computer. Designating a specific workspace can also help create that separation.
Talk it out: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most well
To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.
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By Tom Russell & Scott SaundersWe won't be able to cover everything, so here's the notes! Test yourself and see where you fit in!
https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/workaholics
When does a hard worker become a workaholic?
That's the question scientists sought to answer in a 2017 study spanning 50 years of organizational psychology research on workaholism. The researchers aren't interested in “overpathologizing a common and often positive behavior such as work,” the team writes in the study.
Rather, they hope to outline the clinical characteristics of workaholics so this group can get the help they need to avoid negative downstream effects on their lives.
Workaholism isn't a new concept. In fact, minister and psychologist Wayne Oates coined the term in 1971, describing a worker who feels the “compulsion to work incessantly.”
It's a “person whose need for work has become so excessive that it creates noticeable disturbance or interference with his bodily health, personal happiness, and interpersonal relations, and with his smooth social functioning,” Oates writes.
This isn't a tiny fraction of all workers. Scientists estimate 10 percent of the United States adult population are workaholics. Researchers have seen similar numbers in Japan, Australia, South Africa, and South Korea.
To get a sense of your propensity for workaholism, you can use the Bergen Work Addiction Scale. It uses seven basic criteria to identify work addiction, where all items are scored on the following scale: (1) Never, (2) Rarely, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, and (5) Always:
You think of how you can free up more time to work.
You spend much more time working than initially intended.
You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness, and depression.
You have been told by others to cut down on work without listening to them.
You become stressed if you are prohibited from working.
You deprioritize hobbies, leisure activities, and exercise because of your work.
You work so much that it has negatively influenced your health.
If you score often or always on at least four of the seven items, it may suggest you are a workaholic.
If you find yourself edging towards workaholism — if a partner starts complaining about your work habits' strain on the relationship or you're experiencing signs of burnout — there are ways to transform your habits.
While no documented treatment for workaholism exists, there are some strategies you can try:
Recharge: Research shows long work hours alone don't necessarily hijack health and well-being. Rather, it's the inability to stop thinking about work that's problematic. Unplugging and unwinding when you're off the clock can help you replenish energy reserves to create a healthy work-life balance.
Set boundaries: Creating a clearer time to start and stop work is crucial to developing a sustainable routine. This can be especially hard while working from home or in close proximity to the computer. Designating a specific workspace can also help create that separation.
Talk it out: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most well
To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.