Hi, my name is Elke and I am a compulsive overworker. When I say ‘compulsive’ I literally mean I cannot help myself. I am ‘acting from a compulsion’ as the Oxford English Dictionary defines it. When I work less than 10 hours I feel guilty, after all there is always more to do, more to learn, more to improve. Even going down to 10 hours has been a bit of a struggle: before having children, I was regularly working 12 hours a day.