Negative Effects of Being a Workaholic

Even though the symptoms of being a workaholic can be viewed as negative 
consequences in themselves, there are some long-term issues that can arise out of 
being a workaholic. Today, more and more people are taking a closer look at these 
effects, and how they can give people insight into what kinds of things cause a person 
to become a workaholic.

You Become More Stressed When You’re Working 

When you’re at work and you’ve been thinking about the multitude of scenarios that 
could have negative outcomes for long enough, it becomes a permanent state of mind. 
These feelings of fluctuating self-worth can begin to color how you feel in all situations 
that take place at work, and it is common to begin to feel as though you are being taken 
advantage of somehow.

You Disconnect from Your Own Feelings

When a person approaches burnout or completes a major project, it’s common for them 
to experience confusion and a feeling of being unsettled. This usually happens because 
a workaholic is used to using work as a way to fill time and deal with emotions. When 
they are no longer able to work, they may experience a total disconnect from their own 
desires.

You Become Callous to The Feelings of Others

A lot of people who become workaholics seem to lose sight of empathy. There may 
even be feelings of superiority over those who don’t choose to work on the same type of 
schedule. This type of attitude can have the ability to inflict heavy damage on 
relationships, as people close to a workaholic will see how it negatively affects them 
over the long term. 

Your Work Performance Suffers 

At a certain point, the feelings of stress and resulting burnout can and most likely will 
cause the workaholic to become unfocused. This can lower the quality of their work 
performance. This can manifest in a variety of ways. For example, a workaholic might 
discover that they are making mistakes that wouldn’t be normal for a person of their skill 
level or experience. 

Your Sleep Becomes Disrupted
 
The continued toll taken on mental and physical health may reach a point where it even 
affects their ability to sleep. Studies have shown that people who have this sleep 
disruption due to workaholism often show signs of being tired during the day, and 
especially in the workplace. This creates a snowball effect that can make the issues a 
workaholic faces seem like an immovable stone, but there is a way to be free.   

