Challenging the Appeal of Overworking

Source; A CUP OF COFFEE FROM PEXELS

Being a hard worker is by no means a problem; it only takes a turn when you become too focused on working. No matter how anyone wants to make it seem like a good thing, there’s no gain in overworking yourself. Life throws a ton of responsibilities at us, but we are not to exceed our capabilities.

Do not glorify stress.

There’s a fine line between loving to work and making work the essence of your life. If you do not create boundaries for your work life, then it is likely that you will break down.

Here are reasons why you should take frequent breaks:

1) Your health: If you stress yourself to the point where you put your health at risk, then you need to take a pause. Without good health, you won’t be able to work well. Newsflash: there isn’t much you can achieve when you’re lying on a hospital bed. Maintaining your health is so, so important and once you realize that, it becomes easier to prioritize taking breaks.

2) Your personal and social life: Life is in bits and you need to measure how much time you allocate to each bit. Your work life should not make you neglect your personal/family/relationship life. The scary thing about this is that it may not be obvious when you begin to put work above all. Unknowingly, you start postponing calls to your mother, you become too tired to answer texts, you have no time to even go out with friends. As time goes on, you become so accustomed to new lifestyle, that it begins to seem normal. You start to think that it’s okay to not have personal time— after all, your work is too important.

3) You’ll be missing out: The fine pleasures of life can bring happiness and joy—which you cannot enjoy when you’re neck deep in work. There’s so much to do and experience, and as life goes on, you’ll find out that time flies. You have to live whilst you have the chance to.

4) Overworking is not a recipe for success: Do you think occupying yourself with too much work is a guarantee that you’ll succeed? For some people, that might have worked. However, it’s not the same for everyone. People are different and what fits one person may not fit another.

Source; Photo by George Milton from Pexels

That being said, it’s safe to assume that we can’t take the topic of overworking lightly. There are ways you can minimize working too much, and they include:

1) Make a schedule: In other words, plan. Planning and time management is everything. Once you make a schedule that skillfully balances your work and personal life, then you’ll find that it will make significant changes in your life. If you’re someone who’s always on your phone, then you can download apps like Trello that will give you reminders and keep you aware of your schedule.

2) Eat and Sleep Well: Get enough sleep, and maintain a healthy sleep cycle. This helps you to keep your mind in check, and reduces stress levels. If you’ve recently realized that you’re a raging workaholic, then make time to sleep well for at least a week. The results will wow you. The effects of good sleep will help you see that missing sleep is not ideal. Also, be careful not to skip meals. This keeps you strong and active.

3) Set boundaries: Boundaries are so important! They prevent us from going overboard from virtually anything in life. Make sure you set good work and personal boundaries; you can even get an accountability partner for this. That person can help you get back on track when you’ve run off course, or point out times when you’re about breaching a boundary.

In conclusion, remember that YOU are important. Work is good— it brings income, it directs our focus onto greater things, but it’s easy to crave it way more than we should. We crave it because we want to outdo others, or prove to ourselves that we are goal driven.

Take it easy. Do not glorify stress.

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Responses

  1. Excellent point! We are let to believe that overworking to make others rich is the right thing to do. People spend so much time focusing on work that they stop living and merely exist, like a robot going through the motions. Life is not about money and possessions, it is about experiences and the people we love and care about.

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