Most of us believe that being overworked is inevitable when you live in the 21st century. And while it is true that we are all expected to accomplish more than in the past, it is essential to recognize the warning signals of overworking. This article will look into five important signs you’re overworked.
5 Signs You Overwork
1. Difficult Time Relaxing
If you’re having difficulty relaxing, it’s a sure sign that you’re being overworked and possibly having total work burnout. It’s normal to be stressed from time to time, but if you’re feeling constantly anxious because you can’t relax, it’s an indication that you may be working too much or too hard.
Feeling tense and tired makes you more likely to develop depression and other stress-related disorders. So make sure you’re not working yourself to death by prioritizing your time off and relaxing more regularly.
You may find it difficult to relax since you never have the time to do so. To work at your highest level of productivity at work, you need regular breaks to replenish your batteries. These intervals of leisure and recreation are crucial for you to perform effectively on the job since they rejuvenate your body and mind. This is an often underrated issue in our current society.
2. Feeling That You Don’t Have Enough Time in a Day
As a result of downsizing, many jobs demand their employees to do the duties of two or even three persons. When coworkers are let go, the task they were responsible for must still be completed; hence, the remaining employees take on more responsibility.
When putting in extra hours at work becomes a routine part of your career, it’s a good indication that you’re working more than the typical 40 hours per week. Because it is mathematically impossible to do all your work in a standard eight-hour workday, you are compelled to put in extra hours at the office or bring your work home.
By doing either of these things, you inevitably sacrifice crucial personal time with your family and loved ones; this can easily lead to feelings of resentment toward your job and family. Try to minimize the amount of time you spend in the office by delegating tasks to your coworkers. Most importantly, learn to say “no” to requests that don’t fall under your responsibility; doing so will significantly decrease the extra work you have to do for your boss.
3. Your To-Do List Keeps Growing
Your to-do list keeps growing…and growing…and growing…and growing…and…you get the idea! If you feel you are constantly overwhelmed with the never-ending list of things to do at the office, it clearly indicates that you are overworking yourself.
No matter how hard you try, you can never seem to get everything done on time. Over time, you may feel burned out because of excessive stress and fatigue. An excellent way to manage a to-do list is to prioritize your tasks. List the things that must be done on a particular day and rank them in order of importance; then do the same with the next day’s list.
4. Feeling That You Don’t Catch Up With Your Tasks
Feeling that you don’t catch up with your tasks is also a sign of overworking yourself; after all, there will always be work to do – even if you do everything perfectly! Be realistic when setting your goals for yourself to prevent this from happening. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals for yourself.
For instance, don’t say to yourself, “I will accomplish 50% of the tasks on my list today.” Instead, tell yourself, “I will complete three tasks on my list today.” Setting small goals and achieving them daily is better than making huge ones that will never be achieved.
Learn to deal with your time and priorities well so that you’ll always be able to complete your work on time without burning yourself out in the process. Have trouble sleeping at night, you have insomnia and other sleep-related problems, and you are probably overworked and not getting enough rest during the day.
5. You Can See Your Health Deteriorating
This can happen in several ways, including:
- You’re losing or gaining weight – you’re so stressed that you don’t feel you need to eat, or you stress eat and lack time to exercise.
- You regularly experience a range of aches and pains for no apparent reason.
- You feel more irritable and less patient with others. You snap at people more quickly than you used to, and you have difficulty staying calm during stressful situations.
- You’re not sleeping well – you can’t fall asleep at night because you’re too worried about work, and you can’t wake up in the morning because you feel exhausted from lack of sleep. As a result, you have less energy to deal with work-related issues and develop other health problems like headaches, stomach aches, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
4 More Pieces of Advice to Stop Being Overworked
We all have those days when we feel overworked, underappreciated, and burnt out! Sometimes, we are so overwhelmed that we can’t focus on our daily tasks. Instead of drowning in the chaos, take a step back and give yourself some much-needed TLC. These additional tips can help you de-stress, enjoy the little things, and energize yourself.
1. Practice Relaxation Techniques
Many people often undervalue the importance of relaxation. People tend to ignore the idea that they must stop for a while to recharge their batteries. People tend to believe that they can keep working longer hours since they are not tired. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as working long hours is not only harmful to your mental health but your physical health as well.
Check out these ways to reduce stress and the best plants for your home office.
2. Get 7-9 Hours of Sleep
Research suggests that most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, but many people don’t get this. Sleeping less than 7 hours a night can make you feel tired all day. Additionally, earning less than the recommended amount of sleep can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and depression. Further, research has shown that people who get enough sleep are more likely to exercise and eat healthier than people who aren’t getting enough sleep.
To ensure you get the right amount of sleep every night, create a bedtime routine that works for you and get to bed at the same time every night. Turn off all electronics at least an hour before bed so that your brain has time to wind down and prepare for sleep.
3. Learn to Let Go of Guilt
According to Dr. Borland, don’t feel bad if you need to clock out when everyone else is still working at the office. There tends to be some remorse, but you don’t have to. Remember, to become the best version of yourself, you must take care of yourself first – and that also goes for the workplace.
4. Remember That You Matter
If you’re a leader—which you most certainly are if you own a business—you naturally matter to others. You set the course for the direction. You set standards. And you’re a role model. You should strive to be an excellent example for others by being a person who stays on track, who maintains focus on realizing their goals and dreams, and who assists others in doing the same.
The Bottom Line
Overworking can be harmful to your health in more ways than you’d expect. It can cause you to develop serious health problems such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. It can also alter your performance at work and lead to career burnout. To avoid these adverse outcomes, do your best to learn to work smarter, not harder; this will help keep you from getting burnt out on the job. Make time for self-care because if you don’t, you’re not only hurting yourself, you’re hurting the people you love.
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