Long hours aren’t what can make work unhealthy for some people. Being a workaholic is.
Here’s a quick explanation of why: To cope with stress, the body activates several systems . So say you’re facing an important deadline. As you approach it, your stress hormones , pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines , and blood pressure would likely go up. But after the deadline, these would return to their original levels, known as the “set points.” When you’re working an excessive workload and continually pushing your system beyond its range, you may re-set your set points.
This suggests that loving your work can mitigate some of the risk associated with obsessing over it. We also found that engaged workaholics reported having more resources at home and at work compared to non-engaged workaholics. Engaged workaholics reported receiving more social support , from their supervisor, co-workers, and their spouse, than their non-engaged counterparts.
If we look at all of our examples, it’s clear that while Hanna, Michael, and Linda all work hard, the way they engage with work differs substantially, and hence, their health risk differs as well. Due to Hanna’s long work hours, her stress levels are high at times, but because they return to baseline levels, her stress is not chronic and she does not have the related mental or physical health risks.
It can also be useful to reflect on the reasons why you work excessively and compulsively. We found a striking difference in work motivation between engaged and non-engaged workaholics. Whereas engaged workaholics worked because they enjoyed their work or found their work meaningful , non-engaged workaholics were more likely to work for extrinsic motivators such as money and status.
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