Signs You’re Being Overworked And What To Do About It

While having stressful, busy seasons is natural, being overworked to the point where you’re constantly feeling behind and overwhelmed by your work isn’t good. It’s all too easy to become overworked, and if not checked, this can cause health problems, damage your career, and cause burnout.

In this article, we’ll go over some of the signs that you’re being overworked, what to do about it, and what causes it.

Key Takeaways:

• Signs that you’re being overworked include feeling like you’re always behind, having difficulty relaxing, and seeing your physical health deteriorate.

• When you feel overworked, set boundaries, talk to your boss, and take some time to fully disconnect from work.

• Not being able to ever fully disconnect from work, feeling pressure to work long hours, and being given too many responsibilities without enough resources can make you feel overworked.

Signs You’re Being Overworked

There are a lot of different signs that can signal you’re being overworked and are on your way to burning out. Here are a few of the most common ones:

1. Always feeling like there aren’t enough hours in the day. If you start and end each day feeling behind for weeks on end, you probably have too much on your plate. Being busy is one thing, but feeling like you’re constantly drowning in to-dos is another thing entirely.

2. Having a to-do list that only grows. Always having something on your to-do list is a normal part of life, but having a to-do list that is always growing isn’t.

   At the least, you should be able to keep the number of items on your to-do list steady, but if you have too many important and urgent tasks to keep up with or never seem to be able to get on top of your to-dos, it might be a sign that you’re overworked.

3. Difficulty relaxing. If you can’t seem to lower your stress levels or quiet your brain even when you’re sitting on the couch at home or at the beach on vacation, you might be overworked.

4. Difficulty having a work-life balance. Take a step back and consider how you spend your time. Do you feel like you have a fulfilling life outside of work? Do you have the time and energy to take care of your non-work responsibilities? If the answer to either of these questions is no, there’s a good chance you’re being overworked.

5. Difficulty sleeping. Everyone has trouble sleeping for one reason or another at some point, but if you’re going days at a time struggling to sleep because you can’t stop thinking or stressing about work, that could be a sign you’re doing too much.

6. Always feeling tired and distracted. If you’re having trouble mustering the energy and focus to do even simple tasks, that’s a sign of burnout and an indicator that you might be overworked. Your brain and body need rest to be able to operate effectively.

7. Poor physical health. Maybe it seems like you’ve had a headache or a cold for months, you notice food isn’t sitting well, or your skin is constantly irritated and broken out – whatever it is, it’s your body shouting at you to slow down and rest. Your body can handle a lot of stress, but too much for too long causes it to break down.

   Don’t cause extreme or irreparable damage to yourself by continuing to let yourself be overworked.

What To Do If You’re Being Overworked

Sometimes being overworked is a result of your employer or manager dumping too much on you, and sometimes it’s a result of you allowing work to take over your life. Either way, there are some steps you can take to combat this.

1. Set boundaries. This often has to start by setting boundaries for yourself before you can set boundaries for others. Create a work start and stop time for yourself (and have someone keep you accountable, so you stick to it), practice saying no to new requests if you know you’re already swamped, and ask for help when you need it.

   Setting boundaries doesn’t mean leaving everyone in a lurch by stepping out of a bunch of projects you’ve already committed to, but it does mean being careful about how much you take on yourself in those projects and what you say yes to in the future.

2. Talk to your manager. Whether your being overworked is a result of your own choices or your manager’s, talk to your manager about what’s going on.

   Don’t just say you’re exhausted and leave it at that, though: Go in with a specific request or statement, whether that’s asking for additional team members or explaining you’re only going to be reachable between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. from now on.

   Even if they give you a little pushback, most managers will be okay with you setting boundaries, so if yours is truly upset with you for respectfully saying those things, it might be a sign you need to find a new job.

3. Use your vacation time. Even if you take a staycation, make it a goal to use all of your vacation days every year. No matter what you or your employer thinks, they’ll get along fine without you, and even if they don’t, you’ll be no good to them, burnt out and sick, so taking time off is still worth it.

4. Find a hobby that gives you life. While watching your favorite TV show over and over again can be restful in some ways, finding an activity that you truly love – even if you’re bad at it – can go a long way in helping you feel less overworked.

   This could be as simple as making it a goal to visit every park in your city or as complicated as setting up a woodworking shop in your garage. You can also start by taking a class in pottery, martial arts, or fitness to see what interests you. Think about what sounds fun to you, and give it a try.

5. Prioritize meaningful connection. Whether it’s spending time with your family or getting involved in a book club, find a way to be around people outside of work. Even the most introverted individuals need human connection to have a healthy life, and you might be surprised at how much having a community will help you.

   It’ll take time, but building relationships with people are always worth it. Plus, spending time with people besides your coworkers may help you fully mentally disconnect from work for once.

Reasons Why Employees Are Overworked

There are a variety of factors that can contribute to an employee being overworked. These may include:

• Not enough breaks at work.

• Not enough time being disconnected from work in the evenings and on the weekends.

• Workplace culture valuing extra working hours.

• Additional required work or hours during busy seasons.

• Being given too many tasks and not enough resources.

• Being given too much responsibility without support.

• Pressure to not take vacation time.

• Pressure to stay connected with work while on vacation.

• Not enough flexibility to take care of personal or familial responsibilities.

Signs You’re Being Overworked FAQ

1. How many work hours is unhealthy?

   55 or more work hours a week is unhealthy. Recent studies have found that when people work more than 54 hours a week, on average, their risk of stroke and dying of heart disease goes up significantly.

   However, everyone is wired differently, so working 45 hours a week may be just as unhealthy for some. In addition, even if you don’t have a stroke or heart attack, working so much that you don’t have a healthy work-life balance is bad for your mental and physical health in many other ways.

   So, make it a priority to keep your working hours to a level that allows you to take care of your private responsibilities, spend time with family and friends, and take time to rest.

2. Should I quit a stressful job?

   Yes, you should quit a stressful job. If it’s impacting your health, sometimes quitting a stressful job is the best decision you can make.

   If you aren’t sure if you want to quit just yet, though, there are some other steps you can take to try to lower your stress levels at work. You could ask your boss for fewer responsibilities, for example, or take some vacation days.

   If these don’t work, though, quitting your job may still be the best way to go. This is especially true if your stress at work isn’t seasonal, if you notice it affecting other parts of your life (including your health and relationships), or if your workplace culture only encourages the stressful aspects of your work.

3. How do I tell my boss I am overworked?

   You tell your boss you’re overworked by providing specific examples and offering solutions. When you want to have this conversation with your boss, set up a meeting and then prepare what you’re going to say. Don’t go in complaining about how you’re so tired and have so much on your plate – chances are, they feel the same way.

   Instead, give examples of the specific assignments, deadlines, and responsibilities that are overwhelming you and then offer solutions. This might mean asking to add an additional person to the project to lighten the load or requesting help with prioritizing your tasks.

   Whatever you suggest, make sure you show you’ve thought through it and express your willingness to help in other, smaller ways.

   Your boss likely doesn’t realize how much you have on your plate and how much it’s weighing on you, so it’s important to calmly and politely communicate that before you totally burn out. That way, they would at least have the opportunity to help you.

Author

Abby McCain

Abby is a writer who is passionate about the power of story. Whether it’s communicating complicated topics in a clear way or helping readers connect with another person or place from the comfort of their couch. Abby attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she earned a degree in writing with concentrations in journalism and business.