How can you spot someone who is working too hard?
You’d think it’d be easy to spot someone who is over-worked. We often imagine that over worked people would have dark, dark under eyes, with cocktail sticks holding their eyes open. We picture them living off of strong black coffees, never taking a break and being the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night.
In reality, that’s not the case. Just because you aren’t showing the stereotypical signs of tiredness doesn’t mean you’re not over worked! Today on the blog, we’re talking spotting the signs of being worn out, and what you can do about them!
You cannot switch off from ‘work-mode’ no matter how you try.
You might be going home at night from work, but you aren’t able to switch off. Your mind is always thinking about e-mails and phone calls. You might even take work home with you to get a head start on the next day or to finish off tasks from the day before. Finding it hard to switch off from work mode is a sign that you’re overworked. This is a clear sign that you are overwhelmed and feel pressured by your job to try and stay on top of things, even out of hours.
You’re not your usual, happy self.
Overworked? Yeah, your workmates can tell, because you snap at the tiniest things, or don’t laugh along with the team. You prefer to work over your lunch hour and prefer to sit alone. Being overworked is taking hold of your energy levels. You feel sluggish and therefore act sluggish. Your bright peppy, usual self has been taken hostage by mountains of work. This is a sure fire way to recognise someone who is overworked.
Your To-Do List has never been empty.
When was the last time your to-do list had nothing on it? If you can’t remember, you probably fit in to the over-worked category. If you know that you can’t manage an extra job, don’t say yes to it. Simply, if you feel like you’ll never catch up, you’ve already got too much on your plate.
You’re physically and mentally unwell.
Working too hard can take a serious toll on your health. Not only do you feel tired, your muscles can become sore and your body may ache, despite not having an ‘injury’ as such. Your skin can become dull or you may suffer from break outs. You might gain or lose weight, have a massive appetite and comfort eat, or have no appetite and barely eat at all. More importantly, if you’re losing interest in everything, that is a sign that you’ve been worked too hard.
What can I do?
Know when you’re being over-worked and take action. If other people tell you you’re over-worked, listen to them. If you feel too pressurised at work, speak to someone who can help you whether that be a friend at work or a manager. The more your work consumes you, the more likely you are to burn out and need time off, or worse, feel like you should quit. Finally, always remember to put yourself and your health first.
