What pushing yourself could cost you

Hello and welcome to the travelling introvert. Today I want to talk about work, working hard. We have a habit of wanting to be always seen as working hard. And there's a difference between being a hard worker and always working hard.

Working hard is often lauded as like the key to success. You must work hard, pull yourself up by your bootstrap, struggle through, keep going. And the thing is, there is levels and working too hard can actually be very bad for you. And there are a lot of different ways how overworking, more than working too hard, is bad for you and can negatively affect your life. If you want to be happy and balanced and successful, overworking isn't the way to go.

You can do it in short sprints, but for long periods of time it's not the best thing to do because it can lead to burnout. When a person is burnt out, they might feel like they can't keep going, or they're not cut out for the demands of their job. However, burnout therefore can lead to absenteeism, lower productivity and increased risk of error. If you are experiencing burnout, take a step back and assess your work situation. You know what?

Even if you're not experiencing burnout, take a step back and assess if your work situation is attainable. Are you taking on too much? Do you need more help? Are there changes that you can make to your work schedule, or your routine, or the way you do things to help you feel less overwhelmed, so you can recover from burnout? If you are overworked, you are more likely to get sick.

Your immune system will eventually fail if you are constantly working hard and putting in long hours with very little breaks or rest or recharge time for both your body and your mind. When you don't have that time to relax and to recharge, your body is more susceptible to illness. And so, if you're constantly feeling run down, it might be time to assess your work schedule. And along the lines of overworking and getting sick, you're also more likely to get injured. If you are overworking your body when you are tired, your reflexes are slower. And because of this, there are more accidents just waiting to happen.

So, if you become aware that you are getting sick or hurt more often than usual, maybe take a look and maybe it's time to cut back on your working hours if you can. Now, along with the fact that you are more likely to get injured and sick and feel burnout, because of all of these things compounded, you are much more likely to make mistakes. When you are exhausted and overworked, focusing and paying attention to detail is harder. And many people sort of drink a lot of coffee to try and combat that. And that might work in small doses, but over a long period of time it's just going to keep building up. You're going to find it harder and harder to pay attention. And as a result, you are more likely to make mistakes, not just at work, but during your life in general.

You might be slower to make that turn when you're driving. You might be slower to see someone. And that's how accidents happen. And we already talked about getting sick and getting injured and so accidents, and accidents is when you make a mistake. If you're making a lot more errors, you are therefore costing your company money.

And so maybe it's time to rethink how much you are working. And because of all of these things and so many other things that kind of combine when you are overworked for long periods of time, if you are working all the time, when do you have time to actually enjoy your life? When you're constantly hustling, it's super easy to forget what brings you joy. So, if you're feeling unhappy and unfulfilled, it might be time to reassess just how much work you are taking on, and how hard you are working. No one can tell you what your balance is.

You yourself need to find your unique balance between working and playing and being successful and feeling happy. And it doesn't always look like inequality on a scale, it works for you and your particular needs. However, working too hard can and will harm your health. So, take time for yourself. Relax and recharge or you will end up burning out.

Thank you for listening. This is Janice at thecareerintrovert.com, helping you build your brand and get hired. Have a great rest of your week.