Workaholism: help when you can’t switch off from work

You check emails before you’re out of bed. You tell yourself you’ll stop at seven, and then it’s ten. Holidays feel like something to get through, and when you do stop, you feel guilty or on edge. People may admire how hard you work. They may also have stopped expecting you at dinner.

Work addiction isn’t a formal diagnosis, but the pattern is real: working far more than you need to, finding it hard to stop even when you want to, and carrying on when it’s costing your health and relationships. I work with it as a habit with deep roots, often in how you learned to feel safe or good enough.

Work pressure takes a toll on a lot of people. An estimated 964,000 workers in Great Britain were dealing with work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25 (HSE, 2025).

Am I a workaholic? Signs work has taken over

• You work long hours even when nobody is asking you to
• You feel anxious, guilty or restless when you’re not working
• You check emails and messages in the evening, at weekends and on holiday
• Family or friends say they never see you, or that you’re there but not really present
• Sleep, exercise and proper meals are the first things to go
• You keep telling yourself things will calm down after this project, but they never do

Why it’s hard to stop

Work comes with rewards most habits don’t have. There’s praise, money, status and the feeling of being needed. It’s also one of the few compulsions people admire, so it’s easy to miss that it’s become a problem. For many people, being busy keeps uncomfortable feelings at bay. When you stop, the worry, the low mood or the sense of not being enough comes rushing in, so you go back to work to quieten it.

Over time your body stays on alert. Switching off gets harder, sleep suffers, and the tiredness makes you less efficient. That leaves you feeling you need to work even longer to keep up, and the cycle tightens.

How hypnotherapy can help with workaholism

In sessions we look at what keeps you working when you’d rather stop. It might be guilt, a fear of letting people down or falling behind, or a belief that your worth depends on what you produce. In hypnosis you can practise feeling calm while you’re not working, so rest starts to feel safe rather than lazy. We also work on the practical side: a finish time you actually keep, and a way to let your mind wind down in the evening.

You’ll still have to close the laptop yourself, and hypnotherapy won’t fix a workplace that’s genuinely asking too much of you. Results vary, but it can make it easier to set limits and stick to them, so you get more of your life back.

How to stop being a workaholic: things you can try today

• Pick a finish time and close the laptop when you reach it, even if the task isn’t done. Unfinished work will still be there tomorrow.
• Take work apps off your personal phone, or turn their notifications off outside working hours.
• Create an end-of-day ritual. Write tomorrow’s top three tasks, shut down, then change your clothes or go for a short walk.
• Book something you enjoy into your diary and treat it like a meeting you can’t miss.
• Catch the pull-back thought, such as “I’ll just check one thing”, and write it down instead of acting on it.
• Talk to your manager about your workload if the hours are being driven by what’s asked of you.

Burnout and when to see your GP

Years of overwork can tip into burnout. It often looks like feeling exhausted most of the time, dreading work, feeling detached or cynical about it and struggling to concentrate. The NHS lists other signs of stress too, including headaches, muscle tension, feeling overwhelmed, sleeping too much or too little, and drinking or smoking more (NHS, 2026).

If you feel exhausted or low most days, or you’re struggling to cope, please see your GP. They can check for physical causes, talk about time off and point you to support. In England you can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies. The Mind Infoline on 0300 123 3393 (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday) can help you find support near you.

If you’re feeling hopeless or thinking about ending your life, call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time, or 999 if you’re in danger.

If drinking has become your way of switching off, see my pages on alcohol and cutting down drinking. If your problem is getting started rather than stopping, procrastination may be closer to the mark.

Common questions

Am I a workaholic or just busy?

Busy periods come and go. With workaholism, the long hours carry on when there’s no real need, you feel uneasy when you’re not working, and it keeps costing your health or relationships. The check on this page can help you see where you sit.

Is work addiction a real addiction?

It isn’t a formal diagnosis. But the pattern of losing control and carrying on despite the cost looks a lot like other addictions, which is why people use the term. What matters more than the label is how it’s affecting you.

Will this make me less ambitious?

No. You can care deeply about your work and still choose when to stop. The aim is for you to decide how much you work, rather than feeling driven to it.

How many sessions will I need?

It depends on how long work has crowded out the rest of your life and what’s driving it. Switching off in the evenings is something we can work on in one 90 minute session. Three sessions let us dig into the beliefs underneath and test new limits over a few real working weeks. We can talk about which suits you on a consultation call.

How do sessions work?

We meet one to one over Zoom, so sessions can fit around your working day. We start from your own hours, habits and pressures, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to when you finish for the day.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your working life and what would help, or take the free check first.

See all session options and prices

Written by Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist. Sources: HSE, Work-related stress, depression or anxiety statistics in Great Britain, 2025; NHS, Stress, reviewed March 2026; NHS Talking Therapies; Mind; Samaritans. Checked October 2026.