Battling the Workaholic Bug and Finding Work-Life Balance in Life

The Workaholic’s Journey from Burnout to Work-Life Balance

You wouldn’t believe the workaholic bug’s grip on me lately. Yesterday epitomized my workaholic nature. The day began on a note of insufficient sleep. Even after my late-night musings on the previous blog, sleep eluded me. Surprise, surprise! My mind was more active than a buzzing bee, filled with work thoughts. By the time my Apple watch timestamped 6 AM, I must’ve dozed off, only to be nudged awake at 7:30 AM by my lovely son.

It’s not a terrible way to begin the day. A cuddle session before sunrise feels like an accomplishment.

With the dawn, my workaholic tendencies kicked into overdrive. After the kids were happily settled in daycare and summer school, my home office became my universe. By 8:45 AM, my chair and I had become one (and I hadn’t even had breakfast). My first real break? 12:20 PM, a hasty lunch to refuel for the following work marathon. Yes, as my husband always says, I am a WORKAHOLIC.

Here lies the crux of my predicament:

In pursuing self-discovery, I’ve become entrenched deeper in my workaholic habits. It reminded me of an introspective piece by philosopher Andrew Taggart, which questioned if a life consumed entirely by work honestly had meaning. In the 1970s, Herbert Freudenberger called this overwhelming exhaustion “burnout,” most frequently found in the most committed and dedicated individuals. A workaholic’s paradox, isn’t it?

I’ve faced burnout before. Despite switching jobs to escape its clutches, my workaholic habits didn’t change, and neither did the burnout. The onset of long-covid during the pandemic, a more severe blow, was attributed to my near-burnout state. This revelation was an eye-opener.

I took measures to combat this. Consulting with a psychologist was one of them. But the truth remains I haven’t fully embraced work-life balance. Yesterday’s workaholic spree was evident. It’s clear that my journey to self-discovery and finding true work-life balance are intertwined.

This realization brought forth another thought: If I’m working this hard for someone else, couldn’t I channel the same energy for my own ventures? Could I strike a work-life balance, fulfill my workaholic tendencies, and create something of my own? This warrants some serious “slow thinking.”

If you’re navigating the workaholic path, feeling burnout, or searching for work-life balance, remember you’re not alone. Let’s journey together to find what’s beyond just work.

It’s time for some rest now until our next chapter in this whimsical journey of self-discovery.