Are You A Workaholic?

Millions of people in offices and other workplaces throughout the world find themselves in the same situation: putting in too many hours on the job and feeling obligated to do so. A typical workaholic will often toil well beyond the time that co-workers leave for the day, and most times will show up the next morning before everyone else arrives. What's more, many a weekend is given up in the pursuit of work, as are holidays. And it can all cause a serious disconnect in the balance of life and work, resulting in the neglect of loved ones, friends and any kind of social life at all.

The actual reasons for becoming a workaholic are quite varied. It might involve a need in someone to always stay a step ahead of their co-workers or anyone else they perceive as a competitive threat. It could be a desire to never leave the office at night without tying up any loose ends such as returning an email, writing a memo or getting a package out. It might be a single-minded commitment to being successful, gaining promotion after promotion, no matter what the cost.

The bottom line is, working hard is a good thing. However, working all the time may not be healthy, either physically or emotionally..Doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists all agree that a good balance of life and work, like taking time off and re-charging ones batteries, is highly beneficial in not only making people healthier, happier and more content but also more fit to better perform their jobs.

Do you think you balance life and work? Here are some signs that you should look for...indicating that you are, or are becoming, a workaholic:

You are consistently the last person in your office to leave the office at night;

Your friends and family have indicated to you that you are often detached, not always paying attention to them or your home life, not listening to what they're saying or responding to them;

Because of work commitments, you only find the time to have dinner with your family 4 times a week or less;

You almost always refuse to delegate or share work, instead choosing to do everything yourself...even if it means you'll have to work late into the night or the weekend;

You are becoming, or have become, a perfectionist...not able to satisfy yourself that the job you have just completed at work was well done...constantly tinkering, going over things again and again;

You take shorter vacations than you used to, or skip vacations altogether;

You find yourself obsessing (or just continually thinking about) a work-related project during your off hours at home.