Are You Addicted To Work?

According to researchers in Norway and the United Kingdom - they've come up with a way of measuring how addicted we are to work.

"A number of studies show that work addiction has been associated with insomnia, health problems, burnout and stress as well as creating conflict between work and family life," Andreassen says.

The boundaries have become even more blurred between work and life with technology enabling 24/7 connectivity to the office.

We're spending more time at work - whether through choice or necessity.  So, how much of a workaholic are you?

About the scale: Seven basic criteria

The Bergen Work Addiction Scale uses seven basic criteria to identify work addiction:

• 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. 

Andreassen's study shows scoring "often" or "always" on at least four of the seven items may suggest you're a workaholic.

If work is taking over your life and whether you think you're addicted or not, if you want to feel more in control - take the Time Audit.  You'll see where in your life you need to focus.  You'll have an idea of just how things are and how much work has an impact.

If you want a change to a more balanced way of working with less stress and conflict, get in touch.

Reference:
New Instrument Measures Work Addiction: (Medical News Today)
The University of Bergen. (2012, April 25). Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/244491.php.

WORKaholic 3D (Photo credit: AngeloSu)