Each year on July 5th, National Workaholics Day, is a day to reflect on your “work” and “play” balance. This unofficial holiday encourages workaholics to contemplate their future and make any lifestyle changes that can improve their health by finding that there are more important things than work. If you consider yourself a workaholic, National Workaholics Day is a day to take a step back, refocus, and calm down.
Workaholism is not necessarily a negative word, but one often used to describe someone’s commitment to work in a positive way. People are often seen as having a good work ethic, or loving their job, or dedication to the company; however, it can also become dangerous when it leads to overworking oneself leading to serious health issues, or career burnout.
How do you know if you are a workaholic? Well workaholics take on several traits. For instance:
- You work more than 40 hours a week
- You check your emails frequently
- You talk about work all the time
- You work during your lunch hours
- Your calendar is overscheduled
Now let’s look at some stats:
- 46% of workaholics are usually the first to arrive and the last to leave work.
- 48% of workaholics check their emails during the night.
- 44% of workaholics are told by their friends and family members they work too much
- 45% of workaholics skip their lunch breaks
- 54% of workaholics prioritize work life over personal life.
If you are a workaholic, you are in good company. Thomas Edison, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates all claimed to be workaholics but they had secrets to their success. Thomas Edison’s secret weapon was “never being reluctant to work long hours or work hard,” Oprah’s secret weapon is “do what you love, and work doesn’t feel like work,” and Bill Gates’ secret weapon is “not being a control freak, and soliciting ideas from a talented team of employees.”
Is there a workaholic in your life? If so, then ask them to take the day off and then do something fun with them—possibly for lunch, a hike, or a trip? Or better yet, what about making a nice meal for the workaholic in your life, and tell them about the drawbacks associated with working all the time. However, if you are the workaholic, take the day off, use the time on yourself, and/or to reevaluate your life choices. Making lifestyle changes can result in being more efficient at your job and probably healthier and happier in your private life as well. If you believe you might need assistance, Workaholics Anonymous is an organization that might interest you.