Workaholism Was My Avoidant Tactic

Our United States culture puts workaholism in a glorious spotlight.

A generation of side hustlers, glass-ceiling shatterers, and entrepreneurs have sprung up to overtake the nine to five career aspirations of our parents and grandparents. We glorify the multitaskers, work all-nighters, and “entrepreneurial spirits” that make headlines in Forbes and Inc.

Technology advancements have enabled this movement. With WiFi in every room you could possibly walk into, a mobile computer (i.e. iPhone) at your fingertips, and apps that encourage (and reward!) 24-7 connectivity, workaholism is an inevitable state of being.

But what is the cost?

Sure, if you are one of the lucky few to be in a career that you love, you will find purpose, confidence, and fulfillment in working hard. You may also reap financial reward and fulfillment from your efforts.

However, if doing “work” is an all-consuming, every hour, every minute, number one force in your life, it could cost you your health and relationships.

What is Workaholism?

According to an article by Corporate Wellness Magazine, there are many risks that a workaholic can run into: cardiovascular diseases, immune deficiency disorders, substance abuse and mental health disorders.

One risk I would add to the list from deep, personal knowledge: workaholism kills important relationships.

The Journal of Behavioral Addictions, defines a workaholic as a person who is addicted to work. The term, which was initially defined in 1971, also describes a workaholic as someone who has “the compulsive and uncontrollable need to work incessantly.”

Workaholism is a lifestyle that affects other aspects of your life including personal relationships – the relationship you have with yourself (mind, body, soul) and the relationships you have with loved ones.

When we put work in front of everything – including taking care of our own selves – and don’t take the time to tend to our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, we get mentally and physically burnt out. Over time, this activity becomes an unconscious habit and becomes our “normal” state.

When workaholism controls your life, your well-being is compromised. There are a number of ways it can hurt your mind, body, and soul including:

Fatigue
Tension Headaches
Gut Health Imbalances
Chronic Stress
Mood Swings
Depression
Burnout

Workaholism as an Avoidant

When you routinely work through weekends, constantly monitor your smartphone, refuse to delegate responsibility, obsess about our to-do list, fixate on perfection, or insist on making every waking hour “productive,” we avoid confronting those painful, often deep-rooted beliefs about yourself.

There’s a chance you are using work to avoid connection to yourself, to others, and using your career as the only (fleeting) basis of your self-worth and self-value.

Are you using work to avoid your personal life? A failing relationship? Chaos at home? Maybe something even deeper – your own health and wellness?

Workaholism is a fantastic escape from the “hard” that has creeped up into your personal life. But in truth, you will further harm your mind, body, and soul by not getting to the root of why you are avoiding your personal life and wellbeing.

In the hierarchy of your life, I challenge you to make work third.

Behind yourself.

Behind the relationships and people that you love.

Is this resonating with you? Are you curious how you can start to re-wire, take time for yourself to discover what you are avoiding?

Let’s take the challenge together.

Join my Epic Self-Care program today for 22-days of putting yourself first and discovering habits and rituals that will move you from workaholic to an epic mind, body, and soul.

I am also a video chat away. Schedule a FREE Epic discovery session if you want to simply talk through it and see what kind of custom plan we can build together.

With Epic Hugs,
Melissa