Workaholics Chocoholics Healthy Addictions - Workology

Workaholics Chocoholics Healthy Addictions - Workology Are You a Chocoholic or Workaholic? Are You a Chocoholic or Workaholic? I’m Addicted to Chocolate Truth be told Ive always had a bit of a sweet tooth.  In fact, I dont bring sweets into my home.  Its my dark dirty little secret.  I cant say no.  My chocoholism began as a child.  I would regularly sneak chocolate and ice cream into my bedroom.  I couldnt get enough.  When I went away to college, my mom found my stash of empty frosting containers and chocolate candy wrappers beneath my bed.   From Chocoholism to Workaholism The thrill of work, the satisfaction, purpose, the importance it brings adds to this addiction.  Technology and the accessibility to feed this addiction, workaholism only adds to the desire.  Its like leaving a bag of peanut butter chocolate cups on my kitchen table gonzo.  Sooner or later the thrill, the need, the  addiction, and the desire gets to be just too much. We give in.  As a new college grad in 2001, I remember daydreaming of the day I would have my own Blackberry to answer calls and send work emails all at a moment’s notice.  In my eyes, my boss was so lucky.  He was important; spending hours on conference calls and answering emails; on call every single minute of every day. I guess this makes me an overachiever. Most workaholics cant strike a balance between work and home.  Were constantly taking calls over a family dinner or checking email during vacation.  Admit it.  Im certain that most of us checked our email and responded to emails over the recent holiday.  In fact a  Harris Interactive study  says 72% of us checked our work email and 41% of us are  frustrated  and annoyed when we receive work email during holiday downtime. New Study Says Work Addiction Can Be Healthy A new study released by  Rouen Business School in France  says workaholism can actually be constructive.  Chocolate too.  Workaholism is  defined by work involvement, feelings of being compelled to work and work enjoyment.  The study says that as long as the work is self-driven and provides self-worth and feelings of accomplishment working in excess is a-okay.  Baruch, the studys author compares  chocoholism to workaholism saying, Eating some chocolate on a regular basis can have health benefits and provides energy and satisfaction. Same with work for a workaholic. I can almost hear managers who learn of this study applauding in  unison while printing, forwarding and sharing the results via interoffice mail.  Im tempted myself but not for the reasons you might imagine.  The study supports my chocolate habit as a good thing and not the overindulgent one Ive been programmed to believe. But hold on there . . . not so fast Mister or Miss Manager.  This study is contrary to almost all work life balance studies and psychology.  Barbara Killinger, a writer for  Psychology Today  and noted clinical psychologist describes workaholics and those that display a lack of work life balance suffer from a soul-destroying addiction becoming emotionally crippled.  Personally, that sounds a lot like my  first  marriage. Ive done some of my best work burning the midnight oil and putting in an 80 plus work week but always in moderation. I cannot sustain 80 hour work weeks forever.  Otherwise, you can bet Im cashing in my FMLA and checking myself into a 12 step addiction program.  Time for a little vacay dont you think? Am I wrong?  Does work provide enough purpose?  Should the workforce strike a balance like Killinger recommends?