If this topic caught your interest, you most likely need to draw clearer boundaries between work and rest.
Maybe your thoughts are constantly occupied with work, and you'd like to change that.
Did your Sunday morning start with an urgent call from work? Have you been working 24/7 all year without getting a promotion? Or maybe you've watched businesses close one after another and realized that even a whole company working hard might not be enough to avoid shutting down.
Excessive workload creates effects at both the physical and emotional level. A study in Britain found that people who work more than 55 hours a week have a higher risk of stroke.
Often, people who studied intensely in school carry that same drive for hard work into their careers. Society tends to approve of and reward this kind of behavior.
Let's look at signs that you most likely need to improve the boundaries between work and rest:
- You feel afraid to go to work
- Work is with you even in your dreams
- You feel bored at work and complain about it
- Checking work email and chats is the last thing you do before sleep and the first thing you do when you wake up
- Your vacations get planned around work interests
- You stay late at work, or you invent reasons to leave early
Probably the hardest part is taking the first step and giving yourself permission to take breaks for rest. Then ask yourself these questions:
“Maybe fear is what's making me work so much? What am I afraid of?”
“Do I have friends outside of work?”
“Do I want everyone to like me, which is why I can't say no?”
When you say “no,” it leads other people to respect your time and effort.
If you truly do have friends at work, you have every right to say that you don't want to discuss work matters during your time off, because it wears you out.
Don't try to be a hero — say something if the workload is too much for you.
Assess your abilities realistically, and don't shorten the deadlines for your work.
You can talk with your management about how to organize your working hours optimally so that you can be effective.
If someone near you works a great deal and encourages you to do the same, you can say, for example, “This week I'm handling a different task and can't help.” Or:
“I'm heading home now, but tomorrow I'll see what I can do once I'm back at work.”
Sometimes it's hard for you to say no. In that case, take a pause. Say that you'll think about it and give your answer later.
If you let your colleagues know that you want to change your lifestyle, it really helps.
If the problems still persist, maybe it's time to look for a different job?
Fears, sleep disturbances, round-the-clock work, and the impossibility of ever finishing it — sometimes this is a sign that this job simply isn't for you.
Think about how you want your life to look in five years. Ten years.
Maybe now is the time to make your dreams come true.
Setting boundaries doesn't just mean saying no — it also means saying “yes” to something else. After your workday, say “yes” to tasty, healthy food, a cup of tea, some stretching, a bath, and reading a paper book. Everything that helps you look around and experience life differently will work in favor of your rest and recovery. Even in moments when you're loaded down with work responsibilities, keep up your connections with friends and family. Spend time with people outside of work — it will help you see the situation from a different perspective.
