Handling Overwork

One of the fall-outs of an increasingly uncertain business scenario and 24/7 global connectivity at the workplace is the pressure to overwork on employees, to stretch work hours beyond the normal schedule. Companies are actually guilty of encouraging the culture of overwork, as somewhere along the way, working more has been confused with working well. Executives willingly stretch their workdays and work well into midnight, assuming they are building their careers with the hard work they are putting in. Actually, they are messing up their health and social lives, while putting everything else, except work, on the back-burner.

Working long hours damages our health, productivity, and family life. Overwork has been found to be the number one cause for work-related health disorders like stress, fatigue and exhaustion. Lack of sleep and relaxation has led many to develop psychiatric problems like anxiety, depression, sleep disorders as well.

At the individual level it causes enough damage in the form of:

• ·        Exhaustion
• ·        Stress
• ·        Lack of sleep and relaxation
• ·        Depression
• ·        Anxiety
• ·        Hypertension and heart trouble
• ·        Irritability
• ·        Lack of social interaction and leisure
• ·        Burnout

It is not good for organizations either. Companies bear the brunt of:

• ·        Absenteeism
• ·        Health costs of employees
• ·        Poor quality of work
• ·        Turnover
• ·        Workplace conflicts and flare-ups

If overwork is so bad, why do companies encourage it? And more importantly, why do employees stress themselves out by working themselves to the bone?

Are you also one of those employees who find themselves willingly or unwillingly saddled with additional work that stretches beyond the normal work day? If yes, then it is time to do some serious rethink.

Once you have accepted the fact that you are overloaded and overworked, you need to think of how you can handle it. Things are unlikely to change overnight, but some thinking will help you deal with the situation better.

How to deal with being overworked in the workplace:

è Prioritize and do some time management: All tasks you deal with are not equally urgent or important. Make a checklist of tasks arranged according to importance and urgency, and set aside time to finish those accordingly. You will feel that you are handling the essential things first, and gain a sense of control over your work schedule.

è Do one thing at a time: Seems like a simple thing, but is actually quite difficult for most of us used to multi-tasking. Complete one task first before taking up another. While it is a good thing to multitask, it puts a lot of stress on our minds to do ten things simultaneously. Also, several unfinished tasks in varying stages of completion give us the idea that we are racing against time. A finished task will give you the satisfaction of being somewhat in control.

è Delegate small tasks to others: You need not do everything yourself. Simple. A peon can be put in charge of taking printouts. An operator can handle the keying in of entries. A tele-caller can call up customers on your behalf.  The final responsibility of getting the job done rests with you, but the nitty-gritties can easily be hived off to junior staff. Be careful, however, to ensure that each of the delegates report the status of the work to you.

è Ask for assistance: Seek an appointment with your boss, and state the facts as they are. Say that you have too much on your plate, and are finding it difficult to chew all that you have bitten off. You need help. So the boss either relieves you from some duties and delegates some responsibilities or provides you with some kind of assistance.

è Take short breaks from work: Walk around, stretch and take coffee breaks. The world will not come crashing down if you are absent from your desk for a couple of minutes. You need that much needed breather from work from time to time. Also, try to go out for lunch once in a while, instead of wolfing down a sandwich daily. Please understand, these short breaks actually help you work better after coming back refreshed.

è Switch off e-mail notifications while you are working: Set aside a time for checking your inbox, and replying to urgent mails. Non-urgent mails can wait. You need not check everything as and when they come. E-mails and chat notifications are extremely distracting and eat away major chunks of valuable hours. Keep your mobile on silent mode, while doing particularly important work that requires concentration.

è Don’t take work home: Yes, yes, you are running behind schedule. Have to submit that report tomorrow. Presentation needs last minute touch-ups. Once in a while is okay, but don’t make it a habit to bring work home. Think of your home as a sanctuary, a place for getting away from the grind. Don’t carry work and extend your office to your home. Finish work in office as far as possible.

Don’t take chances till it is too late. Deal with overwork now.