by Christopher Soderberg, MBA and Justin Szwajkowski, MSA

Addiction has become a prevalent topic in today’s society, dominating headlines and impacting communities globally. The destructive effects of many of the most common and prevalent addictions are becoming better documented and have led to more open discussions with the younger generation in an effort to deter them from falling victim to their binds. While the most destructive of these addictions often come to mind when the idea is brought up, many do not consider the same chemical pathways and environmental factors can be responsible for other forms of addictions. In recent years, a new form of addiction has risen in frequency, work addiction, sometimes coined as “workaholism.” This addiction is defined as a compulsive need to work incessantly, even when it causes harm to one’s physical or mental health. In the relentless pursuit of professional success, it often cumulates to the point of burnout, a term that has become quite common in today’s society. Acknowledging the detrimental effects of burnout on one’s professional performance is the first step towards embracing work-life balance, a strategy that ultimately revitalizes productivity and enhances long-term career success.

In many ways, work is one of the biggest defining characteristics of a human being. What you do for work becomes a large part of who you are, how you see the world, how you live, and what you talk about. Work ethic and personal success has become a common status symbol within the community and between peers. For these reasons, it is easy to see how unhealthy working habits can soon become routine and normalized within one’s own life. While working hard is certainly important, finding a healthy balance between professional success and personal well-being is essential for long-term fulfillment and sustained progress.

In 1989, sociologist Ray Oldenburg shared his ideas on these topics in his book, “The Great Good Place,” and coined the idea of a “third place” for individuals to help drive this balance. When taking a step back and reflecting on one’s life, an individual’s first two places are obvious. The first place being one’s home, while the second their workplace. These places are where a substantial chunk of one’s life are centered, and in the modern working environment, these places can even become blurred, with the adoption of hybrid work models becoming more common. To effectively manage the stress of these two places, its essential to have a third place – a dedicated space outside of these two environments where you can go and relax, recharge and detach from the ordinary for a moment. In many cases, the “third place” can be anywhere or anything you want it to be – the golf course, the gym, the library, even an open field. To truly serve its purpose, your third place should be a space where you can pursue your passions, establish new hobbies, and build meaningful connections. Finding this third place and incorporating it into your schedule will help you not only counteract the effects of workaholism and burnout, but it will help you become a more effective and well-rounded boss or colleague by increasing your overall mental wellbeing.

When one begins to take the essential steps in addressing their work life balance, or workaholism, they not only restore their own well-being, but also enhance their professional and personal relationships, ultimately leading to increased production and happiness. When individuals experience burnout from this behavioral addiction, they often begin to experience irritableness, exhaustion, and decreased motivation, which directly impacts the quality and quantity of their work. Most people can probably think about their friends, colleagues, or family and pinpoint an individual who has dropped nearly everything else and worked themselves into the ground on the chase for success. Luckily, as noted previously, there are steps that one can take to both achieve this success and improve their quality of life. Setting boundaries, taking breaks throughout the day, prioritizing your well-being and the scariest for many – taking your vacation time are all ways you can recharge your mental and physical health. These simple remedies lead to renewed focus, increased creativity, and a stronger sense of purpose, ultimately resulting in a significant boost in performance.

It is important to emphasize that the idea of being able to remove yourself from your work is not to say you should not work hard. It is still possible to be the first person into the office, the last to leave, and even put in overtime while still leaving dedicated time for things you enjoy. Short term compromises can and will sometimes be necessary - issues will pop up and some weeks may leave less room to visit your “third place” than others. Success is a direct result of this kind of hard work and dedication, but that does not mean it has to come at the sacrifice of yourself and those around you. The career ladder is a marathon and not a sprint, and long-term balance offers benefits which outweigh a metaphorical short-term sprint that results in burnout.

In summary, you can still build a successful career while maintaining a balance in life that keeps you energized and well rounded. Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and Square, blocks at least one day off a week to go hiking, per a CNBC interview in 2019. Warren Buffet famously took time out of his days to take ukulele lessons and play regularly, as he admitted to Yahoo during an interview in 2023. These figures achieved incredible levels of career success, and likely worked harder than most for sustained periods of time, however they still found hobbies and pursued passions to keep them recharged and balanced in life. Similar to other addictions, drawing boundaries and making changes to eliminate compulsive or learned behaviors can be challenging. In the long run, however, creating a life of balance will be beneficial not only in life outside of the office, but also in career success.