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.