"Is it possible to work yourself to death?

The answer is yes. In fact, this cause of death has a name: karoshi in Japan; guolaosi in China. Both translate to "death from overwork," and the diagnosis is no hyperbole in Asia, where it's a serious public-health problem.

But surely, our enlightened Canadian economy doesn't drive workers into the grave . . . right?

Maybe. Experts say that while the situation in Canada is not nearly so dire -- people aren't dropping like flies at their desks -- our careerist culture is causing a slow-motion karoshi epidemic, in which work-related stress takes a gradual and deadly toll on our health."

The text above appeared in the August 26th Globe & Mail in an article entitled "The Graveyard Shift". Apparently, we Canadians are slowly, methodically working ourselves to death.

Do you find yourself irresistibly drawn to your e-mail? Can't fight the siren call of your cell phone/pager/wireless device? Take this quick little quiz to find out just how much time you have left on this planet:

FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS, GIVE YOURSELF A SCORE FROM 1 TO 5:

Never = 1

Rarely = 2

Sometimes = 3

Often = 4

Very often = 5

1. How often have you felt overwhelmed by how much you had to do at work in the last month?

2. How often have you felt that you didn't have time to step back and reflect on your work?

3. How often have you felt overworked in the past month?

4. During a typical workweek, how often do you have to juggle too many tasks at the same time?

5. During a typical workweek, how often are you interrupted during the day, making it difficult to get things done and get out of the office?

6. How often do you talk to (or BlackBerry or instant-message) co-workers, managers, or clients about work-related matters outside normal work hours?

7. While you are on vacation, how often do you do any work related to your job, such as calling into the office, checking e-mail, packing projects, etc.?

RESULTS

7-10: Margaritaville. Congratulations, you seem to have a good handle on the demands of your job -- or maybe you're retired.

11-14: Cottage Country. Keep up the good work. You are managing your career in a way that minimizes feelings of being overworked.

15-20: The Backyard. Although you're experiencing only average levels of being overloaded, there is still room for improvement.

21-25: Traffic Jam. You're are more overworked than most employees, and you know that can't be good. Stop and smell the roses, already.

26+: Sweatshop: Your non-stop working may have seriously negative consequences -- for your health and job performance, not to mention your sanity and your social life.