Workaholism is an addiction like any other, so it is very dangerous. In the current age of globalization and disappearing borders between work and private life, the risk of workaholism is even greater. Computers and mobile phones make us constantly available. We can work anywhere and anytime, which does, however, not mean we should work all the time. So how can you determine whether you have a real problem with workaholism?
This question was a research topic of experts from the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Bergen in Norway. In collaboration with their colleagues from the Nottingham Trent University in the UK, they created a tool to measure addiction to work called Bergen Work Addiction Scale, which is the first of its kind in the world. The advantage of this tool is that it is based on key criteria for the diagnosis of other addictions. It was first introduced as part of a study on workaholism published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. More than 12,000 Norwegians working in 25 industries were involved in the study.
Try to answer 7 questions
The Bergen Work Addiction Scale gives people the opportunity to test the degree of their workaholism. It reflects seven fundamental elements of addiction: salience (degree of importance of a particular activity), mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, relapse and problems.
It consists of seven questions that you can answer: never (1 point), rarely (2 points), sometimes (3 points), often (4 points) or always (5 points). If you answer "often" or "always" four and more times, you are very likely to be a work addict and you should do something about it.
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Salience: You think about how to gain more time to work.
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Mood modification: You spend more time working than you originally intended.
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Tolerance: You work more to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness and depression.
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Withdrawal: You do not listen to others telling you to slow down the pace of work.
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Conflict: You are stressed when you can't work.
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Relapse: You postpone your hobbies, leisure activities and exercise because of work.
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Problems: You work so much that it negatively affects your health.
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