{"id":16428,"date":"2018-05-29T15:30:57","date_gmt":"2018-05-29T15:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sparkvisionnow.com\/?p=16428"},"modified":"2018-05-29T15:30:57","modified_gmt":"2018-05-29T15:30:57","slug":"confessions-from-a-recovering-workaholic-warning-signs-for-the-undiagnosed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sunneez.com\/sparkvision\/confessions-from-a-recovering-workaholic-warning-signs-for-the-undiagnosed\/","title":{"rendered":"A Recovering Workaholic Confessions + Warning Signs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Recognizing and Conquering Work Addiction: A Personal Journey and Practical Guide<\/h1>\n

I was invited to be a part of a mastermind group that included ten other High Achieving Millennials<\/a>.\u00a0Each member of the group owned their own business, and the convening concept was to have a\u00a0safe space<\/em> to discuss our challenges and support each other\u2019s growth. Going in, I only knew the organizers of the event (and not the other eight invitees). I didn\u2019t know how open the group dynamics would be to vulnerability, but it was certainly worth exploring. Especially as a recovering workaholic…<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The moment one gentleman spoke up to admit that he was struggling was the moment we realized we were all connected. He said something like this\u2026 \u201cI can\u2019t turn my phone off. Dinner parties, watching a movie with my wife, on vacation. I cannot stop checking and responding to my emails. And I don\u2019t have any balance as a result. I\u2019ve created the expectation that I\u2019m always on\u2013and I liked that. But now, I\u2019m realizing that it\u2019s impacting my relationships with the people I love. Especially when I\u2019m called out for it and have no excuse for what I was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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BOOM! It hit me like a ton of bricks. Yes! I know that gnawing + addictive feeling!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As a newbie, I sat back to see who would respond. What was so painfully apparent? Every single one of us was currently suffering from, or had suffered from, this unhealthy technology-induced state of being<\/a> \u201con.\u201d As a few folks offered their tips, I knew it would be harder than any single tip could muster.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

So, I spoke up\u2026<\/div>\n
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\u201cI was diagnosed with a work addiction<\/a> four years ago. I am a recovering workaholic.\u201d
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Typically, when I make this pronouncement, people are slightly taken aback. First, they usually don\u2019t realize it can be clinically diagnosed, so that\u2019s being processed. And then secondly, they want to know…Do I have a work addiction, too?
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I make my statement with a slight tinge of shame for my past, but mostly pride that I have made extremely positive progress in re-thinking and re-designing what \u201csuccess\u201d and the correlated \u201cwork\u201d looked like and meant for me. There was no quick transition, but it started when I realized that I had a problem.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And I had gone on for years, not thinking I had a problem. Unlike more commonly thought of addictions, my workaholic behaviors were rewarded, made me seem like a super-achiever, and earned me praise and positive attention. It wasn\u2019t until my husband pointed it out that I realized how unhealthy my life had become.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

My routine looked something like this:<\/h3>\n