What is a Workaholic
A workaholic is someone who prioritises their work life over everything else. Their whole raison d'être is to put as much time and effort into their work as they possibly can, usually so they can reach the top of their profession and be acknowledged as being one of the best. However, it is this pursuit of being the best that, instead of drawing admiration, can actually provoke resentment and hostility from work colleagues. Workaholics tend to be ambitious and to have careers where competition is a fundamental component, which only serves to put more pressure on individuals who already have a tendency to push themselves to the limit.
Workaholics tend to be very single-minded, with nothing but their work to keep them going. They are more likely to stay behind in the office so they can work late and to take their work home with them, which generally means that they don’t have much of a social life. Not that this seems to bother most workaholics, as they have decided to make work their life and they convince themselves that this is enough to sustain them. However, workaholics are, in a way, addicted to work and anyone who is an addict usually puts their addiction before all else.
Workaholics will keep going to work when they’re sick and will ignore warning signs that they’re overexerting themselves. People who work all the hours that god sends tend not to be interested in eating the right food or taking exercise and will ignore the fact that they’re not getting enough sleep because they’re permanently stressed. Individuals who do not pay attention to the needs of their mind and body are likely to suffer a shock when they become so sick that they are unable to work. Plus, if they have been pushing people away from them in order to pursue their ambition, there may be no one to help them through the tough times.
Workaholics don’t just work all the time to line their pockets. Although there is, no doubt, financial gain to be had from working overtime and climbing the career ladder, for many workaholics this isn’t the main consideration. They’ve had it drilled it into them from an early age that it is important to work hard as this leads to success. They often have a perfectionist tendency and want to be the best in whatever they do so that no one can challenge them. However, because of their desire to succeed they lose sight of the fact that there is more to life than just work.
