Being a Workaholic Leads to Burnout

Workaholic.

You put a lot of energy and focus into your career.

And at one time you may have worn that as a badge of honor.

I know I did at one point.

Spending a lot of time and energy at your job may not be giving you the same feelings or benefits as it once did.

Maybe it’s just getting old or maybe your priorities and values have shifted. Whatever is going on, it just feels different.

In this blog, I’m sharing with you 3 signs of being a workaholic and how they can lead to burnout.

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Keep reading to learn 3 major signs you’re a workaholic and how it can lead to burnout.

What is a Workaholic?

A “workaholic” is a term used to describe someone who pours their time and energy into their work for most of their days.

I am talking about consistent excessive amounts of their time and energy. This behavior becomes more of the norm than the exception.

Workaholics have difficulty stepping out of work mode and making space for having a personal life outside of their job.

This may behavior may be driven by a lot of different things including being a high-achiever, anxiety, imposter syndrome, or dissatisfaction with their personal life in general.

Even if a workaholic enjoys their job, it is easy to see how this can lead to experiencing burnout.

What is Burnout?

Work burnout goes beyond simple work stress. Burnout is emotional and physical exhaustion that comes after passing the chronic stress stage of burnout.

Burnout is not something that just happens overnight but slowly builds over time. Often there are a lot of pessimistic thoughts about work and thoughts about how you can escape for some time.

Learn more about common symptoms of burnout.

3 Signs You’re a Workaholic Heading Towards Burnout

Sign #1 of a Workaholic: Boundaries

Most often folks that work excessively have poor healthy boundaries.

Some of these poor boundaries make look like this:

Coming in early and staying
Working on off days
Taking on extra projects
Difficulty saying “no” to others
Working through lunch breaks
Not using earned time off

Boundaries do not have to be super rigid. They can be flexible to your needs, but not having any boundaries in place can create additional problems that lead to burnout including:

Feeling dissatisfied
Feeling unappreciated
Lack of creativity
Loss of motivation
Emotionally and physically exhausted

Sign #2 of a Workaholic: Where is the Free Time?

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Not making time for having a personal life outside of your work life is not healthy and it’s hard to keep up.

At some point, you need downtime because it is important for your brain and body.

Ask yourself this question…

“What do I like to do for fun?”

If you have a difficult time answering this question, it’s time to explore some interests outside of work and help create more of a balance.

Sign #3 of a Workaholic: Difficulty Asking for Help

In general, this one is hard for a lot of people, especially if there is anxiety, perfectionism, or imposter syndrome happening.

Feeling the pressure that you have to be the one to do everything or the task won’t get done correctly if you don’t do it, can easily fuel this fire.

Both of these beliefs will take you down the path and lead to burnout.

Everyone needs help and support from time to time.

Start Burnout Counseling in Wilmington, NC at Calm Waters Counseling

Spending all your time and energy in work mode doesn’t always give you what it is you are wanting. Long hours and little enjoyment outside of work can increase the chances of burnout happening.

Increasing your awareness about choices when it comes to working and how it impacts you is important. There may never be a perfect work-life balance but hopefully taking care of yourself and knowing what you need can help to reduce burnout.

I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for burnout counseling.