Do you frequently feel like your relationship interferes with your partner’s work? If this is the case, it might be time to reconsider your connection with them and their work. Devoting oneself totally to one’s job may seem like the proper thing to do for some individuals, but it can end up being a concern for others closest to them. 

Workaholic spouses frequently forgo their personal lives to advance at work, which often comes at the expense of their spouse’s and family’s well-being. However, identifying the indicators of being overworked as early as possible and taking steps to adjust your lifestyle might help you repair spousal connections and your family relationships before it’s too late.

married to a workaholic

What Does It Mean to Be a Workaholic?

A workaholic is a person who works obsessively at the expense of health, sleep, and family time. Continue reading to learn how to recognize workaholic habits, how they might affect relationships, and how you can manage them.

Workaholic Characteristics

It’s critical to distinguish between being a workaholic and a hard-working person. A hard worker can nonetheless live a balanced life, taking time off work and still being emotionally and psychologically present and involved at home. Take a good hard look at your partner’s relationship with their job if you find some of these traits:

  • Their primary concern is their work.
  • They lose out on important life events because of their jobs.
  • They are financially secure, yet they work excessively. 
  • Their family complains about how much time they spend working.
  • They look for ways to free up more time for work.
  • They are very stressed out since they are unable to work.
  • They become anxious when they cannot work due to illness or accident.
  • Work forces them to give up their hobbies and free time.
  • Their health has suffered due to the quantity of labor they do.
  • Even if they are sick or injured, they look for ways to work. 
  • They seldom take vacations, and even when they do, they continue to work while they are away from the workplace.
  • They are constantly bringing work home with them.
  • They find it difficult to be “in the moment” since they are preoccupied with other things.

woman in blue long sleeve shirt using silver macbook

How Overworking Affects Marriage

Workaholic spouses may feel alienated and separated from their relationships. As the workaholic gains more independence, the couple may experience a power struggle.

As a consequence of feeling guilty for working far too much, a workaholic may develop angry outbursts over minor incidents, which can negatively impact a family and marriage.  

A partner who shares their feelings about their spouse overworking may be received with animosity and fury, exacerbating the problem. Because they are the ones who are always occupied and working, workaholics may learn to expect their partner to accommodate their demands. As their sense of entitlement rises, the marriage may become strained.  

Another unexpected result is that physical and emotional intimacy between spouses may deteriorate. Whenever open communication and consideration for one another’s emotional well-being stop becoming a priority, the respect, trust, and friendship essential for true love are lost. 

Most couples find that they cannot enjoy sex anymore due to a loss of an emotional bond, and when it happens, it’s just to relieve the tension or for self-pleasure. It’s fairly rare for resentment to grow in many of these scenarios.

man and woman holding hands on street

How to Keep Work From Ruining Your Relationship

Your marriage may be jeopardized if your spouse simply spends too much time working or is a real workaholic. Maintaining a good balance requires a clear understanding of setting boundaries and establishing a clear boundary between life at home and work.  

Workaholic tendencies can be mitigated by taking little actions like avoiding using your bedroom as an office, turning off mobile phones during family time, allocating time for leisure and hobbies, and not using work as an excuse to avoid domestic duties. 

If you discover that your partner is unable to maintain a sense of balance in his or her life, seek professional assistance through executive coaching and counseling.

It’s important to comprehend the fundamental reasons behind someone’s continued bad conduct. This can be a useful tool in preventing further or future damage to families as a result of a lack of nurturing at home.