More than ever, work is now the centre of our lives. It's the thing we do to make money and meaning. As If work has replaced religion, family or leisure as the defining factor in our lives. People have shifted their relation to work in a dramatic way. Nowadays many people feel like a failure if they can't get satisfaction in their work.

Helen Trinca and Catherine Fox, editors of BOSS magazine have documented this phenomenon is their new book, Better than Sex: how a whole generation got hooked on work. in which they highlight some astonishing findings about peoples attitude to work. So is it really better than a roll in the hay?

Maybe not quite, but many people are finding that the rush they get from their jobs now rivals it. Work inspires, empowers and dominates our time as never before and it seems that we can't get enough of it. Big shifts over the last decade have blurred the line between the two worlds of work and leisure. A combination of the dot com boom of the 90's, large companies re-packaging themselves as worker friendly, and the proliferation of laptops and mobile phones (making work at home or on the move easier) has contributed to this. Many don't think twice about logging into their computers after dinner or reading reports late into the night.

So is it just our love for work that drives this trend? Not completely. The 'new workplace' with its freedom and relaxed relationships has certainly helped, But the other side is fear. A recent study by US firm Right Management Consultants, revealed that 1 in 5 workers believes they will be sacked. Add this the seductive allure of an ever increasing supply of consumer goods - our reward for all those hard hours - and you have quite an incentive.

One of the results, however, is an increase in burnout. Many people don't understand the difference between healthy passion for what they do, and workaholism. The latter being something that's pathological and leads to burnout' There's a big difference between being passionate - those who find hard work invigorating and meaningful, and those who are purely workaholics.

Neal Ashkanasy, a professor of management at the University of Queensland, says that while people are definitely more open about their enthusiasm for work, he also sees evidence that stress and burnout are increasing. In our experience, one factor contributing to this is a lack of a sense of meaning. A feeling of disconnect. Conversely, where there is meaning, then passion and engagement are never far away.

Quick Tip - meaningful work

Grab a notebook and a pen, and take yourself to a favourite spot. Somewhere fairly peaceful where you can think. Perhaps a local café, a park, a quiet room. Take a theme that relates to meaningful work and give it a title: e.g. "love my work" "meaningful career" "enriching vocation". Then write - stream of consciousness. Don't stop to think. Capture whatever thoughts come - good, bad, ugly. Just keep the pen moving across that page. Let yourself write drivel. Let the gems come. Just keep writing for at least 15 minutes, non-stop.

Then stop. Read back through what you have written. Circle the words or phrases that strike you for whatever reason. Reflect on what you might have learnt about yourself and your work in this process. Buy yourself a latte and a slice of chocolate mud cake as a reward!

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