Chained to the Desk in a Hybrid World

A step-by-step guide to reestablishing work-life balance

Americans love a hard worker. The employee who toils eighteen-hour days and eats meals on the run between appointments is usually viewed with a combination of respect and awe. But for many, this lifestyle leads to family problems, a decline in work productivity, and, ultimately, physical and mental burnout. Intended for anyone touched by what Robinson calls “the best-dressed problem of the twenty-first century,” Chained to the Desk in a Hybrid World provides an inside look at the impact of work stress on those who live and work with workaholics—partners, spouses, children, and colleagues—as well as the appropriate techniques for clinicians who treat them.

This groundbreaking book builds on the research included in three previous editions of Chained to the Desk from the best-selling author and widely respected family therapist Bryan E. Robinson. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of working from home, Robinson finds that the agonies of work stress have only become more challenging. Recent years have seen an unprecedented shift to remote work, which has made it significantly harder to maintain the already delicate work-life balance, weakened as it is by smartphones and other technology. The result is that many workaholics are more stressed and burnt out than ever before in their work, despite being constantly in the presence of family. Chained to the Desk in a Hybrid World both counsels and consoles. It provides a step-by-step guide to help readers spot, understand, and ultimately recover from workaholism.