Characteristics of a workaholic person

They often have health problems and suffer from depression and deep insecurities. By contrast, a workaholic is someone who constantly thinks about work, and without work feels anxious and depressed. Workaholics are difficult to get along with, because they frequently push others as hard as they push themselves.

Workaholics (and those around them) may be reliving patterns from their past, or using work as a way to ease–or ignore–emotional issues and trauma. Others have linked workaholism to a variety of personality traits. In general, workaholics tend to be more conscientious, extroverted, and neurotic.

While many workaholics gradually develop narcissistic attributes, some have a head start. The seeds of narcissism are often sown in the next generation in families where a narcissistic parent singles out a “chosen” child who is treated and told they are special, superior, even exceptional.

Workaholics feel the urge of being busy all the time, to the point that they often perform tasks that aren’t required or necessary for project completion. As a result, they tend to be inefficient workers, since they focus on being busy, instead of focusing on being productive.

A workaholic is not happy. People who are passionate about their work and funnel a lot of energy into what they do are not workaholics. The reason for this, Jovanovic says, is because workaholics are unhappy. “They feel a compulsive need to work excessively,” Jovanovic says.

New research suggests people who let their jobs consume their lives may have ADHD, OCD, anxiety, or depression. There’s a fine balance between working to live and living to work.

Improving Work for the Workaholic, Too

Research shows that workaholism can negatively impact the individual’s own health and well-being, and even small changes can make a difference. That’s certainly been true for me.

Workaholics think they’re earning their employer’s favor which may or may not be true. Employers love this. The flip side: More hours doesn’t mean more value created. Workaholics spend a lot of time doing more busy work than doing business.

Causes of it are thought to be anxiety, low self-esteem, and intimacy problems. Furthermore, workaholics tend to have an inability to delegate work tasks to others and tend to obtain high scores on personality traits such as neuroticism, perfectionism, and conscientiousness.

Workaholism and health problems

This can lead to high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems, according to a 2012 study . Under chronic stress, your body begins to see impacts, such as high blood pressure and high cortisol levels, according to a 2013 research review.

Most researchers define a workaholic as a person who works excessively and compulsively and is unable to detach from work.

Signs You Might Be a Workaholic

If you have several of the following traits, take a critical look at your relationship with your career. Work is your number one priority. You miss out on life events for work. You are financially stable, yet work excessively anyway.

We found that workaholics, whether or not they worked long hours, reported more health complaints and had increased risk for metabolic syndrome; they also reported a higher need for recovery, more sleep problems, more cynicism, more emotional exhaustion, and more depressive feelings than employees who merely worked

Research indicates that workaholism affects between 27% and 30% of the general population today. In popular culture, “workaholism” is a buzzword often used to describe devotion to work in a positive light — by defining themselves as workaholics, people often think they are showcasing their passion for their jobs.

It just doesn’t work like for us. Spontaneity is one of the most attractive qualities a person can have, and workaholics are often viewed as boring because being spontaneous is hard for us. It’s harder for us to connect with people because of our limited time away from what we are doing.

7 Red Flags You’re Working Too Much. If you feel like work is consuming your life, you’re not alone. “Somewhere in the range of 40 to 50 hours per week is more than enough for most people,” says Randy Simon, Ph. D., a licensed clinical psychologist based in Montclair and Summit, New Jersey.

For some, 10–hour shifts appear favorable to assist with this pursuit of happiness. Many full-time employees, those who work 40 hours per week, have the opportunity to work 10–hour shifts in order to have three days off per week. Having happy employees leads to a healthier and more productive workplace.

A 60 hour week = 5 (12) hour days. In at 8am, out at 8pm. An 80 hour week = 5 (16) hour days. In at 8am, out at midnight.