Dedication, hard work, and technology have made up a potent recipe for burnout in today\u2019s work life. Competition and career-building are motivating employees and entrepreneurs to put in extra hours their bodies can barely handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While some projects require more than the usual workload, commitment shouldn\u2019t come at the cost of one\u2019s health. After all, you don\u2019t want health problems to prevent you from pursuing a successful career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t have to endure constant exhaustion to keep your business afloat or maintain a better-than-average appraisal rating. Also, you can earn a lot and crown your career without having to work 100 hours a week!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, we\u2019ll cover signs that show you\u2019re overworking and different ways to prevent burnout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Corporate competition has seen employers incentivize overwork. As a result, employees have to put in more hours to meet established milestones and produce more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Low pay is another reason for excessive work. Sometimes, the appeal of overtime is too tempting to pass up, especially for those burdened by financial responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But overwork hurts everyone. And here is how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Herbert Freudenberger coined the term \u201cburnout\u201d in 1974. He explained it as the mental or physical collapse triggered by stress or overwork. The World Health Organization tagged burnout as one of the leading causes of workplace mental health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At some point, working long hours becomes counterproductive<\/a>. For workers, it causes all sorts of personal and health-related problems. For companies, it hurts their bottom line. Insurance premiums shoot up since workers are often burnt out and require medical care. Also, overworked employees end up being inefficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working too much can also be fatal. The Japanese have a word for death by overwork \u2013 Karoshi<\/a>. The first case was recorded in 1969 when a 29-year-old male employee of a newspaper company died of a stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, thousands of people still die each year due to demanding hours. According to a WHO report, more than 745,000 people died as a result of overwork in 2016. In addition, it showed that people who work more than 55 hours a week are 35% more likely to suffer a stroke. They are also 17% more prone to heart disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you ask employees, most of them will admit their bosses demand long hours. But, while they\u2019re not wrong, it\u2019s not the whole story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Truthfully, employers want their workers to put in extra hours and stand by to respond to emails and calls even outside work. They also want a chunk of employees\u2019 weekends and vacations without complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, workers are sometimes to blame. People tend to log extra hours thanks to a blend of different psychological drivers like greed, ambition, a sense of duty, and the desire to excel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other things we need to stress are corporate culture, peer pressure, and technology. For example, an employee\u2019s company could sell the idea of doing more as part of its culture. In this case, no worker would want to be the odd one out. Technology also makes it simple to pick up where you left off no matter where you are. This easily blurs the line that separates work and personal life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s face it, demanding hours can kill you. The worst part is, you could be killing yourself without knowing it. You might think that your body handles the pressure just fine, but it could be late when mental and physical exhaustion kicks in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you experience the symptoms below, it\u2019s time to take a breather and re-evaluate your work life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding it difficult to focus on other aspects of your life is one of the main signs you\u2019re overworked. You\u2019re always alert and ready to deal with work-related issues at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This situation could worsen when you hold a critical role in a project \u2013 even more so when your boss requires you to be available outside working hours. At this point, resting means you\u2019re taking your eyes off the ball, which could lead to problems. So, you don\u2019t want to take that risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Technology also doesn\u2019t help. Even outside the office, you are one click away from every document you need to be on the grind again. This way, there\u2019s never any moment of true relaxation as your mind\u2019s always expecting something from work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Draw a hard line between your on- and off-hours. You don\u2019t have to feel guilty about ignoring work when you\u2019re home. Your sense of dedication can resume in the morning. Do your best during work hours and make sure you only make exceptions when it can\u2019t be helped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dissociating your job from your personal life can be more challenging when you work from home. However, you still have to do the hard work of separating both lives. Keeping a dedicated office helps. You can lock it up once the day is over. Work-related files and accounts should be left on the computer and digital devices in the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re an employer and you require around-the-clock assistance for clients, rotate your workers in shifts. It would help if you also delegated some of your duties to make sure you\u2019re also resting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Increasing your regular coffee intake won\u2019t hide the fact that you\u2019ll be feeling less and less yourself. The extra hours will catch up with you at some point, no matter how much your system tries to adapt. Your body needs rest to recharge and repair worn-out cells. Unfortunately, no number of supplements in the world can make up for a good night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll experience one or all of the following symptoms when you\u2019re overworked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Stress<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll always feel tense and on edge. Also, taking painkillers won\u2019t get rid of the body aches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Poor eating habits<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overworking tends to take away your interest in watching what you eat. You won\u2019t have time to assess your calorie intake. This could mean skipping meals or overeating at once due to time restraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Weight loss\/gain<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since you\u2019re not eating healthy or at all, you could lose or gain weight fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Insomnia<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once your body gets used to long hours, sleep becomes difficult. This is because your brain might already be processing the jobs you have lined up for the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Difficulty concentrating and brain fog<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the mental toll of overworking starts to kick in, you\u2019ll start to forget small details like dates and names. Things tend to get foggy when your brain has to handle multiple tasks at once for long periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Exhaustion<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another sign that shows you should worry about your health is constant exhaustion. This isn\u2019t the fatigue that comes with the day\u2019s job and disappears in the morning. Instead, you\u2019ll always feel weak, even during days you\u2019re not working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other physical and psychological symptoms of overworking include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Heart palpitations<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Headaches<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Constipation, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal upsets<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Depression<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Irritability<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25cf Anxiety<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could also be taking multiple medications to cope with the stress. This could lead to a bad case of substance abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your health is important, and no one can stress that enough. So don\u2019t overlook these issues. When you notice any of these symptoms, it\u2019s time to take a step back. If possible, take an extended break until you feel a hundred percent yourself again. If you must remain involved, make sure you get maximum rest while you\u2019re at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recondition your body to get used to 7 to 8 hours of daily sleep. Set a timer or reminder if necessary. This way, you can drop everything and head home when your workaholic side takes over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Talk to a doctor and get checked out. Then, follow your health expert\u2019s recommendation to the letter. You can also take your physician\u2019s report to your employer to get some time off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The feeling that there\u2019s something more you have to do is a workaholic\u2019s mentality. There are just not enough hours in a day. You\u2019ll always feel guilty whenever you fail to meet a target you set for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overworking also puts you behind. That\u2019s because the fatigue and mental stress that come with it impact your work. As a result, you begin to do things wrong. For example, you could spend two hours executing a task that should take 20 minutes. So working 80 hours a week<\/a> doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re doing your best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s okay to do the best you can during work hours. However, you should find your pause button. Even if you can\u2019t complete a task, push it over to tomorrow. To make sure you complete projects on time, declutter your schedule during work hours to focus on important tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every hour you spend working is one hour less with your friends and family. It\u2019s that simple. You can\u2019t be in two places at once. You\u2019re either working or spending time with people in your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your friends and family start complaining, you should listen. It\u2019s one of the strongest signs that you\u2019re putting in more hours than you should. Our families love us, and they can condone intermittent long hours. However, it begins to hurt when it seems like work is replacing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should notice when you start missing so many soccer games and recitals. You pull further and further away from your loved ones with each failed promise to show up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, make the conscious decision to drop work and head home no matter what. Make the exceptions rare, as they should be. Continuing work at home should also be out of the question. While you want to show up, you also want to be present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a remote worker, you should draw a boundary between work and personal hours. Your family should respect your work schedule, and you should honor your time with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The passion that once made your job fun will begin to wane when the stress of overworking takes over. You\u2019ll find yourself struggling to take things over the line and questioning why you do what you do. You start to lose your sense of purpose, and that could unlock a negativity spiral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This situation requires time and space away from work. You have to rediscover your drive to do what you love. To regain what demanding hours have taken away, you have to take some time off. This way, you can reassess the whole situation and find the spark again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve missed work enough and have rekindled your passion, don\u2019t just jump right in. Make a plan to curb the long hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You need a certain level of dedication to stop overworking. The good thing is that you can do it and maintain an optimal work-life balance. Whether your priority is to be at the top in your field or make good money, only a healthy mind and body can get you there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Below, you\u2019ll find different actions you should take to avoid burnout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start by understanding how you got here. Then, ask yourself what turned you into a workaholic. There must have been a turning point when you gradually made the shift to working late hours and skipping meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you start overworking because you decided to take your career to the next level? Did your employer begin to demand more? Or did your company\u2019s culture change?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might have decided to extend your work hours to increase your performance. In that case, you might want to step back and plan better. Exerting too much pressure on yourself will end up doing the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy Do People Overwork?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Signs That Show You\u2019re Overworking and How to Deal With the Issue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You Find It Difficult to Switch Off Your Work Mode<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Remedy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Declining Health<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dealing with Declining Health<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
You Always Feel Like There\u2019s More to Do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Overcoming the Need to Do More<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Your Social Life Begins to Take a Hit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re Losing Interest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Stop Overworking for Good<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Look Back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n