
Why You Can’t Stop Working—And How to Break the Cycle with Malissa Clark
From Ambition 2.0 by Girlboss
January 13, 2026 · 42 min
About this episode
This episode explores workaholism and how to break the cycle of always being 'on' with insights from Dr. Malissa Clark.
Repeat after us: You can love your job and still be a workaholic. In this episode of Ambition 2.0, Amanda Goetz sits down with Dr. Malissa Clark, a professor at the University of Georgia, Director of the Healthy Work Lab, and author of Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture Is Bad for Business—and How to Fix It, to break down what workaholism can look like in real life (spoiler: it’s not just about working long hours). They get into the sneaky “working light” tasks that we tell ourselves don’t count as work (like sending emails while watching TV or checking Slack between errands), how leaders accidentally create always-on teams, and so much more. If you’ve ever felt guilty while resting, struggled to stop thinking about work, or worried that your ambition is turning into something unhealthy, this episode is worth a listen. In this episode, you’ll learn: 00:00 Intro 01:33 What workaholism is (and the four components) 04:32 Early signs your work habits are becoming unhealthy 07:21 What to do if you think you might be a workaholic 11:23 How leaders unintentionally create “always-on” teams 13:26 How to bring boundaries up with your boss 20:46 Redesigning work culture 24:04…
People in this episode
Host: Amanda Goetz
Guest: Dr. Malissa Clark
Topics covered
- workaholism
- work culture
- boundaries
- leadership
- mental health
Keywords
- workaholism
- healthy work culture
- boundaries
- leadership
- mental health
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Georgia
Books & works: Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture Is Bad for Business—and How to Fix It
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