Workaholic facts for kids

A workaholic is someone who works too much and finds it hard to stop, even when it causes problems for their family, friends, or health. While it's not officially a medical condition, working too much can be linked to stress or other strong habits. Sometimes, people call it ergomania when someone is too focused on work because of a mental health issue. Things like "hustle culture," which encourages people to work all the time, can make workaholism worse by ignoring a healthy balance between work and life.

What Does "Workaholic" Mean?

The word "workaholic" is a mix of two words: "work" and "alcoholic." It uses the "aholic" part to describe someone who has a very strong, hard-to-control urge for something, but in this case, it's for working. The word first appeared in Canada in a newspaper called the Toronto Daily Star in 1947. It even made a joke about a group called "Alcoholics Anonymous," suggesting a similar group for people who couldn't stop working:

If you are cursed with an unconquerable craving for work, call Workaholics Synonymous, and a reformed worker will aid you back to happy idleness.

Understanding Workaholism

The term "workaholic" can mean different things. Sometimes, people use it in a positive way to show how dedicated they are to their job. The "work" usually means a paying job, but it can also be about hobbies like sports, music, art, or science.

However, "workaholic" is more often used to describe a negative habit. This usually means someone spends too much time working, feels a strong need to work hard, and ignores their family and friends.

Why Do People Become Workaholics?

Researchers have found that people who work too much often keep going even when it hurts their relationships or their physical health. Some reasons for this might be feeling worried, having low self-esteem, or having trouble with close relationships. Workaholics also often find it hard to let others help with tasks. They tend to score high on personality traits like being very worried (neuroticism), wanting everything to be perfect (perfectionism), and being very careful and thorough (conscientiousness).

A psychologist named Bryan E. Robinson looked at two main parts of workaholic behavior: starting work and finishing work. He found that people who put off tasks (procrastinate) might be "Savoring Workaholics" (who don't start or finish much work) or "Attention-Deficit Workaholics" (who start a lot but don't finish much). In contrast, "Bulimic" and "Relentless" workaholics are good at finishing tasks.

Workaholism Around the World

In Japan, working too much is a serious problem that can even lead to early death, sometimes while at work. This sad event is called karōshi. For example, overwork was widely blamed for the fatal stroke of Japan's Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi in 2000. Dying from overwork isn't only a Japanese problem; in 2013, a young worker in London died after working for 72 hours straight.

How Workaholism Affects Work and Health

Workaholics can actually be less effective than other workers. They might struggle to work well in a team, find it hard to let co-workers help, or cause problems for their company because they take on too much work at once. Also, workaholics often don't get enough sleep, which can make their brain and thinking skills not work as well.

The risk that workaholism poses to companies is often underestimated. It can even become a serious threat to a business's success.

See also

In Spanish: Trabajólico para niños

• Critique of work
• Crunch (video games)
• Downshifting (lifestyle)
• Karoshi
• Money-rich, time-poor
• Occupational burnout
• Power harassment
• Presenteeism
• Protestant work ethic
• Slow movement (culture)
• Work aversion
• Work ethic
• Workaholics Anonymous
• Workplace stress