What is work engagement?

Work engagement is defined as being committed to your work in a healthy way.¹ To maintain a healthy commitment, researcher Arnold Bakker explains that work needs to be the following:

1. Stimulating
2. Something you want to devote time and energy to
3. Meaningful and significant
4. Something you are able to bring your full attention to

Some people become overly engaged in their work, which can be unhealthy. Obsessing over work is sometimes called “workaholism.”

What is workaholism?

The term workaholism was first defined in 1971.² It means to have an uncontrollable need to constantly work. This definition points out two important features of workaholism. First, the inner drive to work is hard to control. Often workaholics want to keep working even when it causes harm to themselves, family members, friends, or co-workers. They will constantly think about work, even when the workday is done. Second, the amount of work that workaholics do is much greater than what their workplace expects. The large amounts of work involve long hours as well as too much physical and emotional attention.³

One study found that at least 10% of the people in the United States (that is 10 out of every 100 people) suffer from workaholism. This statistic is understandable in a Western culture that often idealizes “work hard, play hard” and “rugged individualism.” Even beyond these cultural beliefs lies the reality of a day-to-day life that may require working 2 or 3 jobs to pay bills or care for family. Consider the following suggestions when facing these often difficult challenges.

Am I a workaholic?

The Workaholics Anonymous website uses a set of 20 questions to assess the extent to which a person is addicted to his or her work. There are also 10 common warning signs found in workaholics.⁴

1. Hurrying and staying busy
2. Need to control
3. Perfectionism
4. Difficulty with relationships
5. Work binges
6. Difficulty relaxing and having fun
7. Memory losses due to being exhausted or distracted by work
8. Impatience and irritability
9. Feeling inadequate