5 Signs Your Work Overload Is Too Much & How To Deal With It
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Everyone who works in the workplace knows that the more hours they work, and the more work there is to do, the harder it is to stay relaxed.
While employee wellness is becoming more and more talked about, dealing with excessive loads of work is still very common.
If it’s a temporary situation, then it may not matter all that much, but if you have a huge backlog of bills to pay or more tasks than you can possibly handle, then this could mean that you’re becoming too overworked and will eventually hit a wall.
In this article, I want you to check yourself for signs that you may have a work overload, and find a few ways to deal with work overload successfully.
It’s not the easiest task, I admit… But it’s inevitable if you want to prioritize your health and wellness (which, you should, of course!).
What Does It Mean To Have Work Overload?
Work overload means that you have too many tasks than you can handle in your work hours.
People who are living with a constant overload are prone to more stress, unhealthy work-life balance, and even depression.
What Causes Work Overload
While there may be a lot of different reasons for work overload to happen, a few of them are more frequent than others:
- Some companies have a bad work culture that results in inadequately huge amounts of work for a single worker.
- There may be a work overload due to employees getting sick or taking a vacation.
- Some people may also create a work overload for themselves by simply taking on too many tasks.
What Are The Effects Of Work Overload?
Work overload can cause emotional and physical fatigue which leads to physical symptoms like headaches, back pain, digestive problems, fatigue, and headaches that often last for a long time.
The signs of work overload may also be seen in those who become irritable, unwilling and even if they admit that they have a problem, cannot see the causes of their problem, and refuse to do anything about it.
If you work too much, you might experience some of these signs.
It is important to know these symptoms in order to deal with your work overload successfully.
5 Signs You Have a Work Overload In Your Life
1. You don’t have enough time for self care
Increased work overload usually means that there is little time in a day left for yourself.
This is because you have to focus on all the activities going on your mind, so it gets harder to concentrate on yourself as well.
When this happens, you may even forget when was the last time you spent an hour doing something enjoyable.
This is known as the “work stress syndrome” and can affect your mental state if it is not properly managed.
2. You feel very stressed
Work overload can also make you highly stressed and overworked.
This can manifest through physical symptoms like regular headaches, upset stomach, and brain fog.
In addition, your mental state becomes exhausted and you become unable to relax.
You may also feel like your’re constantly thinking about all the work you still need to do.
3. You keep taking on new tasks
When you work too much, you tend to take on too much too.
You work on too many projects at one time and you cannot even complete them all.
You may become so overloaded with work that you feel like you will never be able to finish what you started.
With work overload growing even more, you’re slowly getting lost in the chaos of your work.
Sadly, this can make you feel like you no longer notice the world around you.
4. You get sick more often
When you have a work overload, your mental & physical abilities are lowered and you become susceptible to illnesses.
For example, when you are spending too much time indoors, your immune system gets depleted and can become very vulnerable to infections.
Also, you become less likely to take proper care of yourself – this can increase your chances of getting heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and other things you would rather not deal with.
5. You became lazy
Work overload can also make you feel pressured and this, in turn, can make you procrastinate.
You may notice that you can’t even get started with your work altogether.
This causes you to do less work and significantly increases your stress.
6. You snap at other people
Work overload makes your stress levels rise and this makes it more difficult to handle your life in general.
You may become very irritable and even lash out at other people (like you’re on a never-ending PMS!).
Now, these symptoms of work overload can be easy to recognize and if you work too much, it is important to know what to look for and to take action. If you ignore these signs, it can be harder to deal with work overload and you may end up feeling depressed.
Thankfully, there are some ways to help yourself.
Here’s what you can do to deal with work overload!
How Do You Handle Work Overload?
1. Rework your habits
One of the best ways to deal with work overload is to develop time and task management habits that can help you to finish tasks faster, and work without spending excess energy.
Good management habits include:
- delegating work;
- creating clear and regular work schedules;
- taking breaks;
- getting enough sleep;
- making sure that your computer is set for maximum productivity;
- and not wasting time on unproductive tasks.
2. Learn to plan your time
If you do not follow a regular work schedule, you may find that your work overload grows larger instead of decreasing.
If this happens, it is important for you to learn to set reasonable schedules so that you can make sure you stay on track and get the most work done each day.
You can use a daily planner to separate your day into segments, set work-rest reminders on your phone, or just review your upcoming day the night before.
3. Stock up on productivity knowledge
You can also try to improve your work life and reduce work overload with knowledge.
There are a ton of online resources that can help you manage your time, manage your projects, and learn about the skills that you need to make work smarter instead of harder.
You can try online courses that teach you the skills you need to get your work completed faster.
There are also tools to help you manage your projects and tasks effectively – like my best-selling project planner that has helped hundreds of people to fulfill huge projects (I used it to create this website too!).
4. Review your career goals
To reduce work overload, you may also need to consider what you want to get out of your career.
If you want to have a rewarding career, but do not feel satisfied with the tasks you need to do (or the amount of them), it may be the time for you to look for a new career.
Many people have made career changes because they feel like they did not get what they wanted, or that their career was not worth the effort.
Let’s admit it – work should be enjoyable and if you feel like you are constantly under pressure, it’s not worth working yourself to death.
5. De-stress daily
Finally, stress relief.
I know you come home tired already, but spending time doing some stress relief activities is extremely important in order to deal with work overload effectively.
Things like meditation, hot baths or showers, self care at work, and even a good book before sleep can help you to rewind and relax.
Work Overload Is Unpleasant, But Tasks Should Never Come Before You.
Even though it feels difficult, it’s possible to manage and reduce work overload.
Sometimes, this management means that you have to take a bigger action (like changing your career), but at the end of the day, your health is the most important.
What is the use of a high-profile career if you don’t have enough health or time to enjoy its benefits?
I hope these tips will help you to deal with your work overload situation, and you’ll soon find your relief.
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