Modern work culture constantly pushes us to achieve more, work longer, and show absolute dedication to our profession. Smart technology has erased the physical boundary between the office and home. For many people, the ability not to reply to an email at the weekend or on holiday has become an unreachable luxury. Although society often romanticises overtime and treats it as a guarantee of success, researchers warn of serious consequences. Long working hours alone are not the danger. Problems begin when professional activity becomes the only way to escape anxiety or the difficulties of personal life .
Hours versus motivation: how to recognise the problem
The term “workaholism” was first used in 1971 by the American Wayne Oates. He defined it as an uncontrollable inner need to keep working. Contemporary researchers (including W. Schaufeli and T. Taris) draw a sharp distinction between two very different phenomena: work engagement (healthy ambition) and workaholism.
A healthily ambitious person enjoys solving problems and creating value. They feel strong intrinsic motivation and rarely run short of energy. Once they close the laptop, they can switch into personal life with relative ease. During work, their brain releases dopamine—the hormone associated with satisfaction.
An employee with a work addiction behaves very differently. They are driven by inner compulsion. Even after leaving the workplace, they keep analysing projects in their mind. Rest triggers guilt or even physical withdrawal symptoms—irritability and an inability to concentrate. A workaholic’s body is constantly bathed in the stress hormone cortisol. Work becomes a painkiller that briefly reduces anxiety.
Different faces of work addiction
People become workaholics for different reasons. Behavioural research points to several main profiles that help identify the source of the problem.
Compulsive drive. These people feel responsible for absolutely every process in the organisation. They avoid delegating tasks to colleagues. Their main driver is deep, unfounded guilt and a fear of losing control.
Escapism. Work becomes a safe fortress. When personal life gets difficult—a marriage under strain, conflicts with children, or a sense of inner emptiness—they throw themselves entirely into projects. The work environment offers clear rules and measurable results. Being there feels far easier than untangling complicated feelings.
Pursuit of recognition. Here, personal worth depends entirely on external evaluation. Status, impressive job titles, and praise from managers act as a powerful stimulant. Such a person invests the most effort in tasks that guarantee visibility and applause from colleagues.
The hyper-achiever cycle. This is running a marathon at sprint pace. The person lights up with a new idea, pours all their energy into it, reaches the goal, and then collapses into deep apathy. Once they recover, they hunt for another draining challenge.
