It seems I’m working all the time!!!

Are there any easy answers?

Ever have the feeling that you are working harder than ever?  That you no longer have control over your time?  With today’s increased push of information and getting things done, quicker, faster, and accurately; we find ourselves in overdrive just to keep up.

According to an HBR (Harvard Business Review) article from February 1, 2018, Laura Empson writes in her article, If You’re So Successful, Why Are You Still Working 70 Hours a Week?, that long hours are most common among managerial and professional occupations.  Competition is tough in today’s environment, so therefore creates insecurity in our quest to be overachievers, to stay in good graces with the boss.  Companies celebrate overachievers and tout these great achievements to their customers.

The result is eventual burnout.  Take a few minutes to reflect back at who you have become, the organization that has created you, and the practices you are perpetuating.  Step away from the edge, and evaluate how you are driving your teams to always overachieve.  It’s ok to work hard for small periods of time, with an end in sight.  But it is unhealthy to continue to run on this hamster wheel 24/7.

What can you do?

1. 1.Observe those around you. Are there some leaders who achieve their work and seem less stressed? Maybe they have a secret.
2. 2. Incorporate reflection time.  Call it what you’d like, reflection, meditation, deep breathing, or escapism (walk around the block).  This will take your blood pressure down and reset your rhythm.
3. 3. Be Positive!  Even though you may feel like the world is closing in on you, if you can keep a mindset of positivity, you can create paths for solutions, gratitude, and solidarity with others.

In the end, it’s about attitude and finding new ways of operating.  You can do this by making small shifts in your daily activity, and you’ll begin to see the swell of change come through.