Are you experiencing the effects of overworking? You arrive at work full of energy, eager to start your day, only to find out that it’s already lunchtime. Time seems to slip away as you remain glued to your desk, your thoughts already focused on the next task. When you finally look up from your computer, you realize that the sun has set and the day has come to an end.
If this sounds like you or someone you know, chances are that person is overworking — and so are many others. A survey by Gallup found that two-thirds of full-time employees wish they had fewer working hours and nearly one in four said they work more than 50 hours per week.
The effects of overworking can be devastating for both individuals and organizations alike. It takes a toll on physical and mental health, impacts job performance and engagement, lowers team morale, and can lead to burnout. In this article, I’ll provide some tips on how to take control of your own work-life balance.
What Is Overworking?
Are you feeling overwhelmed by your workload? Do you work late, skip lunch and find yourself constantly under pressure to deliver? If so, it’s quite possible you’re overworking.
Overworking is a situation that often occurs when an employee or manager is presented with too many tasks or too little training and support. It can lead to stress, exhaustion and eventually burnout if left unchecked.
The most common causes of overworking include working long hours without breaks, having unrealistic expectations from supervisors or clients, not delegating tasks where appropriate, taking on additional tasks outside of your job description, and poor time management skills.
It’s important to identify the cause because understanding the source of your overworking can help you develop better strategies for overcoming it. Identifying the problem also helps you find ways to address it rather than continuing in a cycle of exhaustion that can take a long-term toll on your health and well-being.
Is overworking bad for you?
Doing too much of anything – whether that’s eating chocolate, exercising, drinking alcohol, or working – can harm your wellbeing. Working too much is no exception. When an individual works beyond 61 hours per week, they are at a greater risk of developing high systolic blood pressure, fatigue, and stress, according to a study. It also has deep psychological implications – according to some estimates, depression and anxiety cost the global economy about $1 trillion a year due to lost productivity.
Sadly, the majority of individuals are prone to overworking due to various reasons, such as:
- endless emails
- unforeseen issues
- staff shortages
- the absence of clear boundaries
However, it is essential to recognize that it is acceptable to say “I’ve done enough” and defer tasks to the following day to prioritize one’s well-being. It is crucial to take a step back when the job begins to harm one’s health and remind oneself to prioritize their health.
Recognizing Signs of Overworking
It’s important to be mindful of the signs of overworking and make sure you don’t reach a burnout point. It can be hard to acknowledge if you’re feeling the symptoms of overworking, but with a little practice, you can learn how to identify the warning signs.
To start, consider how your attitude and outlook have changed. Are you feeling more anxious or stressed than usual? Do you dread going into work? Are simple tasks suddenly feeling overwhelming? All of these are potential signs that you’re overworked.
On top of attitude, look out for physical changes too. If you’re developing headaches or insomnia from stress, or find yourself being easily distracted during the day, it can be an indication that your body needs more rest. It’s also important to take note if leisure activities no longer feel enjoyable—or even possible to do—as a result of exhaustion.
If any of these sound familiar, it might be worth considering strategies to adjust your workload and take back control of your time.
How to Minimize the Effects of Overworking
When it comes to managing stress, the best thing you can do is prevent it in the first place. But how do you minimize the effects of overworking? Here are a few strategies to help prevent you from feeling overwhelmed:
Time Management
Time management should be your top priority when it comes to avoiding overworking. Set realistic goals and create deadlines for yourself. Make sure that your work is manageable and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Create an organized plan and stick to it – prioritize what needs to get done and cross each task off as you go.
Take Breaks
Breaks are essential for recharging both mentally and physically. Step away from your workspace for a few minutes every hour or so and take a walk, stretch or get some fresh air. It’s also important to use your vacations days – scheduling time away will help you stay productive in the long-term.
Learn How To Say No
Learning how to say no can go a long way in reducing stress from overworking – know when it’s time to draw the line and don’t overextend yourself or commit more than what’s necessary. It’s important to keep control of your own schedule rather than letting other people dictate how much work you should take on at any one time.
Strategies for Managing Working Hours
Do you find yourself consistently working late nights or weekends? You’re not alone, and it’s time to take control of how much you work. Here are some strategies that can help you manage your working hours and protect your well-being:
Establish a routine
Creating a consistent daily routine can help you prioritize your tasks and establish boundaries between work and downtime. Set hard start and end times for your day at the office, schedule regular breaks throughout the day, and give yourself permission to unplug for a few hours once the workday ends.
Set priorities
When it comes to managing working hours, prioritizing is key. Each time you begin working on a task, make sure you understand what needs to be done, how long it will take, and why it’s important. Then, use that information to determine what tasks are most important to complete first.
Be realistic
Be realistic when mapping out your daily tasks. How long is it actually going to take you to finish each item on your list? Take into account any other events or obligations that might affect your productivity or availability during the day as well.
Get organized
Organization plays a big role in increasing efficiency. Use technology like task list apps or calendar functions on your phone for easy tracking of deadlines and progress updates. This way, you can organize tasks into manageable chunks so that nothing slips through the cracks!
Setting Clear Boundaries
To manage your workday, you can set boundaries to have more control. When you have a clear goal for how much work you want to do each day, it’s simpler to refuse extra tasks.
For example, if you know that your job requires you to finish tasks in 8 hours, then it’s time to communicate this boundary to your boss and colleagues. If they ask you to take on extra projects, make sure they understand that it will interfere with your other commitments or that it’s not possible in the amount of time given.
Establish Your Priorities
Be honest with yourself and others about what can and can’t be done in the time allotted, and don’t be afraid to say no. You prioritize your work by identifying which tasks are most important and getting those done first. By doing this, it helps ensure that all of your tasks get done, but only after everything has been prioritized correctly. Delegating tasks to teammates can help too, especially if there is something that doesn’t require your expertise or pressing timeline concerns.
Set Reasonable Deadlines
Doing this will help keep the quality of your work high because you aren’t rushing through projects just for the sake of completing them as quickly as possible. If a deadline does seem unrealistic or unreasonable, talk with your boss about it — he/she may be able to adjust expectations accordingly or provide more resources so that the project can be completed faster. Plus, taking ownership over deadlines is much better than having someone telling you when things need to be done by — because now it feels like YOU’RE in control.
Prioritizing Essential Tasks
Taking control of your workload starts with getting organized. That means being able to prioritize the tasks you need to do and focusing on the most essential ones first.
Create a plan
The best way to start prioritizing is to create a plan. Set up a list of tasks and divide them into three categories: essential, important and nice-to-have.
Essential tasks are the ones that can’t wait—like responding to an urgent client request or preparing for an upcoming meeting. These tasks should take priority over anything else.
Important tasks are the ones that will help you reach your goals, but can wait for later if necessary. Working on projects or completing reports fall in this category.
Nice-to-haves are activities that don’t necessarily have immediate business value, like taking a break or meeting with your team when it’s not urgent — these should be done after you’ve completed the more important tasks.
Tune out distractions
Once you have established what needs immediate attention, make sure you stay focused and avoid distractions as much as possible — be it social media notifications or colleagues pinging you for every small thing — until you’re done with the task at hand. Two creative methods to try are the Pomodoro method (working for 25 minutes followed by 5 minutes of break) and time boxing (allotting time slots for completing specific tasks). Both techniques will help keep your focus while working on a task and make sure you get back on track after any small distraction.
Delegating Responsibilities
One of the most important ways to combat overworking is to learn how to delegate responsibilities. By delegating work, you can free up your time and energy and become more productive in the long run.
Learning How To Delegate
Delegation involves trusting someone else with part of your work. To be successful at delegating, you need to understand who can do what type of task, when it should be completed and how it will be measured. Start by creating a list of tasks that other team members can handle on their own. This is also a great opportunity for employees to learn new skills and expand their knowledge.
Assigning Responsibilities
Once you have identified which tasks are suited for delegation, assign the responsibility accordingly. Set clear expectations; provide sufficient resources; and set reasonable deadlines for each delegated task. It’s also important to make sure that everyone understands their roles so there is no confusion later on. Finally, provide regular feedback and follow up to ensure success in each delegated task.
By following these steps, you will be able to take back control over your workload and manage your time better. With practice, delegation can become an effortless process that allows you to reach your goals while simultaneously helping your team grow professionally and personally!
Taking Breaks and Unplugging
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to practice self-care. That doesn’t just mean painting your nails or going on a shopping spree—it means taking a break and unplugging from work for a bit for your physical and mental health.
Taking regular breaks won’t just help to reduce stress, it will also help improve your focus, productivity and creativity. So when your workload starts to become overwhelming, take a step back and give yourself some time off.
Here are some suggestions for breaks:
- Take 10 minutes away from your desk to enjoy the outdoors—go for a walk and get some sun, or even just sit on the grass with your eyes closed and listen to the birds
- Do 10 minutes of yoga stretches or any other activity that releases tension
- Have 10 minutes of quiet time at home, with no phone or computer screens
- Take 10 minutes out of each working day to talk with colleagues about something other than work (or take an actual lunch break!)
- Unplug from technology—turn off cell phones and laptops for an hour each day (you can do this during lunch)
- Give yourself an entire day away from work every week if possible
- Take a weekend getaway—at least twice a year if you can manage it!
- When you come back from vacation, don’t dive right into work; give yourself at least one day of rest before resuming work mode
Scheduling Time Off
There’s no way around it: if you want to take control of your situation and manage your working hours, you need to schedule time off.
This might seem counter-intuitive, and you may be thinking “how can I schedule time off when I have so much work to do?” But having a set schedule of days or even hours off is essential to stopping yourself from becoming overworked.
Making Time For Yourself
Taking a break from work through vacations is essential to focus on self-care and mental health. Being in nature and getting sunshine are natural remedies that can rejuvenate and restore one’s well-being. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity to reflect on work routines and plan for any necessary adjustments.
Creating Boundaries
It’s also important to create boundaries for yourself. Make sure that, on days off, you don’t check emails or respond to urgent messages unless absolutely necessary. Also decide on when each task should be completed, and then stick to it! This can help with prioritizing tasks so that nothing slips through the cracks.
By scheduling time off and creating boundaries for yourself, you can make sure that overworking doesn’t become an issue in your life.
Mental Health Tips for Dealing With Overwork
It’s important to take care of your mental health when you’re dealing with the pressure of overworking. Here are five strategies for managing your mental health more effectively:
1. Get Regular Exercise
Regular physical activity is a proven way to help reduce stress and keep depression at bay. Any kind of exercise that gets you moving and your heart rate up can help with this, like jogging, biking or even dancing. If you can make it a regular habit, all the better!
2. Spend Time With Friends and Family
Fostering close relationships is really important for managing stress levels. Talking through issues and worries with friends or family can be incredibly helpful – even if it’s just talking about small topics like what you watched on TV last night! You may even find that the people around you have valuable advice to help relieve some of the burden.
3. Take Breaks During the Day
It’s challenging to keep up with deadlines and perform at a high level all day long. Taking short breaks during work days can help give your mind a chance to relax from any stressful thoughts or pressures, so consider doing this throughout your day if possible!
4. Do Something Fun
Do something that allows you to have fun and relax in the evening after work. Whether it’s playing board games with friends, watching movies, exercising or reading books – these activities can provide much-needed relief from any overworking stressors in your life.
5. Seek Professional Help When Necessary
If none of these tips work for you, don’t be afraid to seek professional help – such as counseling
Conclusion
People are working too much because being a workaholic is becoming normal in the modern work culture. But humans need rest and can’t work all the time like robots. Workers are important for a company, and you need to take care of yourself before you can help others.
You can avoid burnout by taking control of your time and setting reasonable boundaries around your work to achieve a healthier work-life balance. Planning ahead, creating an efficient work routine, and recognizing the signs of overworking can all help in this regard.