The United States of Workaholics
Why our national obsession with work is killing us
In Japan, there’s a word for working too hard. Karoshi, or “death by overwork,” leads to more than 1,000 deaths per year among Japanese employees.
In the United States, the picture isn’t much brighter. In fact, many U.S. workers consider a relentless devotion their job a necessity for success. Many even take pride in their workaholic tendencies.
Workaholism is most common among millennials, who have encountered a perfect storm of shifting workplace expectations, technological advancements, and economic uncertainty. My clients struggle with this dynamic all the time, whether they’re creative entrepreneurs, traditional corporate employees, or startup founders.
Recently a client told me that she couldn’t imagine taking an entire week off. While a vacation sounded great, it didn’t seem realistic. Her co-workers couldn’t manage everything in her absence. More important, she couldn’t stomach coming back to an overflowing inbox and mountain of to-do’s after time off. Easier to stay put and stay on top of things, she rationalized. Meanwhile, she was so stressed out that she could barely concentrate. Her health was suffering as a result of clocking long hours with no respite. Heart palpitations, insomnia, weight gain — the works. Plus…
