Who me? I’m Not a Workaholic

The warning signs are all there…. You have an unhappy personal life because you never spend any time in it. You are always grumpy because you never get enough sleep. You have a series of continual ailments like mild depression, high blood pressure and you doctor (when you saw her two years ago) told you that you had a high risk of developing serious coronary problems.

You spend every waking moment going to, thinking about or staying late at work. And you still claim that you are not a workaholic. Okay. Just remember that denial is not a river in Egypt. To test out your theory that you are not a workaholic here’s a short quiz to make your own determination.

Are you a workaholic?

1. Do you always feel rushed at work?

2. Do you feel trapped at work?

3. Is your health suffering from too much work?

4. Do you have trouble sleeping?

5. Do you feel unsatisfied about your work?

6. Do you have enough time for family and friends?

7. Do you have time for personal exercise or fun?

8. Are you satisfied with your financial situation?

9. Do you work 50 hours or more a week?

10. Have you tried to slow down at work in the past but have been unable to do so?

11. Have you cancelled or postponed vacations because of work?

12. Do you work on weekends?

13. Do you sometimes get stuck at work?

14. Do you think about work while falling asleep or when you first wake up?

15. Do you over commit yourself at work?

16. Are you afraid of failing at work?

17. Do you eat your lunch at your desk or read work during meals?

18. Have you cancelled or postponed social events because of work?

If you answered yes to three or more of these questions you are a probably a workaholic. So what now? Well, admitting that you have a problem is the first step to moving towards a solution. The next step is to get some help.

This help can range from the very informal like talking to a trusted family member or friend, to the very formal of joining a self-help group like Workaholics Anonymous. Yes, there is a twelve step program for workaholics. There are many other options in between. Find one that works for you and make a plan to change your life, at least the working part.

Start your plan slowly by making a commitment not to work every weekend and you can always add to your plan as you go along. Tell your employer that you will not be able to work any more than a fixed number of hours, any amount less than what you already do would be an improvement. Call your family and make plans to get together since they likely haven’t seen you for a while. Finally take a deep breath and try to relax. You can do this.

This post first appeared on my blog at www.jobs.ca

Mike Martin is a writer and the author of The Walker on the Cape, a mystery set in Grand Bank, NL. For more information please visit www.walkeronthecape.com