10 Crucial Warning Signs You’re Struggling with Work Addiction
I was clinically diagnosed with a work addiction.
You might think: Work addiction? Who the heck comes up with these things? Sure, I’m addicted to paying my bills, buying groceries and getting promoted. Is “work addiction” the latest participation trophy for what it means to just do your job?
No – this is a real thing!
Here’s the deal…
By definition, an addiction is when you have compulsive behaviors that you cannot control despite harmful consequences.
In an environment that applauds a 24/7 relationship with work, a work addiction fuels you to accomplish a LOT — aaaannnnddd, you’re rewarded for it.
That’s NOT how it works if you’re an alcoholic. The more you drink, the more rewards you do not get at work. In fact, you’d even run the risk of being reported, written up, or fired if you were caught drinking on the job.
Well, that is not the case with that trusty work addiction breeding within a culture of fear!
If someone caught me working through lunch or staying late, they’d praise me for my commitment and ask for tips on how to up their game.
Can you imagine an alcoholic being praised for the latest shot they took at work?
Of course, you can’t! And that’s how ass-backward this is.
We’ve just been brainwashed to think otherwise.
You see, there’s this constant dopamine reward loop.
Early in my career, my constant need to prove myself led me to achieve global recognition for my record-breaking philanthropic work within the largest non-profit in the world. It made me look like a picturesque superstar on the outside, but inside… I was dying.
My work addiction was a straight-up injection of ego-boosting fuel to keep me chugging along in my high-achieving, self-loathing, record-breaking, sleep-deprived, highly praised, soul-crushing cycle with full justification. My stack of awards told me, “The hustle was worth the recognition.”
Until it wasn’t.
My stress and anxiety were at an all-time peak.
My fingernails were constantly bloody and throbbing from biting and ripping them off. I was self-harming to self-soothe. I’d forget to eat. I’d even use going to the bathroom as a “reward break” from checking off several items from my to-do list.
I mean risking a bladder infection for the sake of more accomplishments…What the….?
I lost control of my ability to consciously choose whether or not I was working. And since I was inside a toxic organization, this level of production became expected of me. It didn’t feel like I had a choice if I wanted to be deemed a “success”.
I deprioritized fun, friends, and family because there wasn’t enough time for it.
I was in a constant state of burnout from being busy.
Rushing from meeting to meeting, call to call, task to task, all while trying the latest habit hack to cram more into my “ultimate day of productivity.”
As the week unfolded, I felt more and more underwater. Drowning from my feelings of not-enoughness. Since this was the culture where I worked, we all seemed to be cool with just drowning together.
Even with all the aches, pains, and warning signs my mind and body gave me, I was so obsessed with my success that I’d miss out on significant milestone moments.
Like justifying missing my cowboy uncle’s funeral because it was “busy season,” and I thought it would let my team down if I had taken time away since I’d just come back from being off for three days for my wedding.
I only had permission to be perfect and had no idea what it meant to have permission to be human.
And after years of that engrained behavior, one morning it all changed.
My husband, James, woke up, rolled over and there was a woman in bed next to him.
Startled, he said, “Oh wow! It’s so good to see you.”
The woman was me. And I was confused.
What did he mean? I SEE him all the time!
But really, I didn’t.
I was so busy with work that I rarely saw him, even at home.
His loving words finally made me realize that I had a problem and no idea how to solve it.
That was the turning point from going from a work addict to a work-life advocate.
What I know for sure is that I was never drained from doing too much. It was always from doing too little of what aligned with my values.
And it’s the same for you, too.
When your values are in action, energy is surging inside you. 🔋And when your values are being violated, energy is sucked right out of you. 🪫
Twelve years after my clinical diagnosis of “work addict.” I now coach fellow high-achievers to gain more freedom, flow, and well-being without compromising their impact.
It’s humbling to guide others to meet themselves where they are and take baby steps to a new possibility with their relationship to work and how they define their values-driven success.
So, at this point, you may be wondering…. Do I have a work addiction, too?
So tell me, how many did you say “yes” to? I’m open-heartedly curious.
If you comment on this blog and tell me which questions you said “yes” to. I’ll curate more content to address those pain points in future posts.
No judgment. Just compassion. And full permission to be human.
In the meantime, consider how you might ignite more self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-care.
Zoom out to the bigger picture to envision what’s possible when your mind, body, and spirit are grounded in your values and not someone else’s.
Check out our core values quiz or my special coaching offer below if you want to go deeper in your own journey to alignment.
As always, I’m here to support you. One step at a time, without judgment of pace.
Ready to shift your work addiction and start living a more values-aligned life this summer? Check out my Special Mustang Coaching Offer.
Here’s what you’ll get:
- 🧭Lifetime access to my 10-day Knowing & Living Your Values course which provides the step-by-step framework to honor your past to align your future in your core values.
- 💫Three 1-hour private coaching sessions to customize the work for your unique experience so you can set healthy boundaries and truly embody your values with full permission to be human.
- 💞Three months membership to our Community of Alignment to keep breaking limiting beliefs and up leveling into true embodiment alongside other leaders who are on the same journey.
- 🤠A special Wild Mustang Wisdom training to teach you the most impactful self-regulation tools that will serve you in high stakes moments in life.
Own your power this summer so you can step into the fall with a conscious, clear direction for your ultimate life vision.
