309. You Have An Addiction. I’m Your Intervention.

I was today years old when I learned that Oreos are as addictive as cocaine.

Sounds crazy, I know, but it’s true.

At least according to a study conducted at Connecticut College it is, and that’s good enough for me.

They found that Oreos (and similar high-fat, high-sugar foods) stimulate the brain in the same place and in the same way as highly addictive drugs like morphine and the aforementioned cocaine.

Does this mean that you have to give up your 2-sleeves-a-day Oreo habit?

That’s not what I’m saying. You do you, if that’s what you want to do.

What I am saying is that, whether or not you binge on Oreos, and whether or not you are driven to drugs or alcohol, you still have unhealthy addictions. You probably don’t even realize your addictions. But it’s ok, because I do.

And I, my friend, am your intervention.

But before we get there, let me remind you what it means to be addicted to something.

The Four Elements of Addiction

I’m not going to bore you with the biology of addiction cause, frankly, you don’t want to hear it and I don’t want to explain.

What we are going to talk about, however, are the ways that addiction manifests itself.

Oh, and you’re going to want to remember these manifestations because it will help you understand your addiction when we get to that down below. So take notes.

The four ways addiction manifests itself are:

1. Loss of Control

When you’re addicted to something, you have a hard time controlling your engagement with the addictive something.

2. Compulsivity

You have sudden urges to engage in the addictive substance, leading to less time spent on more important parts of your life.

3. Increased Tolerance

The greater the addiction, the more frequently and heavily you engage in the behavior.

4. Withdrawal Symptoms

When you abruptly stop the addictive behavior, you are pretty darn distressed and just want it back.

—

That’s addiction. Those four things.

Now let’s bring this pony over to your stable.

Your Addiction

I’m not sure what you do in your spare time. For all I know, you have an unhealthy relationship with NyQuil. Maybe you have a gummy bear habit or perhaps you are a carb-aholic.

(Editors note: guilty as charged)

But we’re not talking about those behaviors today. Instead, we’re here to discuss the addictions you have at work.

Now before you pshaw in my face, work addictions aren’t just limited to working a massive amount of hours. Work addictions manifest themselves in different ways.

In fact, there are 6 types of addictive personalities when it comes to work. Six different ways addiction manifests itself. The question is, which one(s) most define you?

Let’s have a looksie.

1. The Chaos Addict

Some people believe they are most productive when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

So they procrastinate, they back themselves into corners, they make things more complicated than they need to be. It’s all because they are addicted to chaos.

2. The Overcommitment Addict

Some people say yes to anything anybody asks of them. They are addicted to feeling needed.

Inevitably they take on so many things that all the spinning plates crash to the ground in a shattering of self-hatred and broken promises.

3. The Perfect Addict

The perfectionist tweaks and tweaks and tweaks. And when they’re done doing that, they tweak some more.

Perfection is the addiction and it’s a high that they can never attain. Instead, it just leads to missed deadlines and the destruction of team progress.

4. The Inbox Addict

The email struggle is real. It's the single most common addiction of all workers.

84% of workers keep their email application open and notifications notifying them while they’re working. The average worker checks their email every 2 to 6 minutes!!1

The inbox addiction means you’re avoiding the work that actually moves the needle.

5. The Control Addict

In my leadership coaching business, I come across a lot of people who are addicted to control.

Rarely does the control addict think they are a micromanager, often because they also have a tough time delegating.

They need to feel like the most capable person in the room. That’s the hallucinogens of a control addiction.

In the end, they stay buried in work leaving a team that never learns.

6. The Workaholic Addict

Some people genuinely don’t know how to stop working. They just don’t know what else to do with their lives.

To most people, 14-hour workdays are a frustrating but rare requirement. For the addict, it’s a badge of honor.

They will pretend to complain, but in truth, they thrive on the absence of work-life balance.

Eventually, their team will get frustrated and quit.

Which Addiction Are You?

Here’s the thing: addiction doesn’t just impact you - it impacts all the people around you.

The first step is admitting it. It’s a really important step and one that could be quickly overcome with the right leadership coach (nudge nudge, hint hint)

The second step is understanding how it is impacting your life and your colleagues.

This is where the intervention begins.

When you know the type of addict you are, consider the four ways it’s manifesting itself (I told you these would be important).

• Loss of Control: How does the addiction control your behavior?
• Compulsivity: In what ways is it keeping you from doing more important things?
• Tolerance: How is your addictive behavior progressively worsening?
• Withdrawal: If you try to stop, what is the discomfort you feel?

Maybe it’s worth a second here to remind yourself that you are good enough, you are smart enough, and gosh darnnit, you matter.

• You don’t need constant fires to prove you’re valuable.
• You don’t need to say yes to everything to feel needed.
• You don’t need 14-hour work days to feel important

So what are you going to do today to put down the proverbial Oreos and break the cycle?

Let the intervention begin.

(Poll: Which work addiction do you struggle with most? Drop your answer in the comments.)

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