Your mantra in life is work, work, work, even when you do not want to work. Perhaps it is ingrained into you to work extra hard, because life’s a race, and only those who work overtime win, or perhaps your boss is a workaholic who expects everyone to work twice as hard.
No matter why you are working so much, recognizing that you’re working too much and much more than the healthy levels is more crucial to understand.
Often, people don’t realize how overworked they had been until they get a burn out, recovering from which is very hard. It can lead to mental health challenges as well as issues with physical health, requiring intervention of the Best Internal medicine Doctor in Lahore then.
Burnout remedy involves making radical changes to the lifestyle and work-life balance.
Hence, before hitting the ultimate and rather grave state of burnout, reeling yourself back from work can help. In this endeavor, it is important to know and note the alarming signs that you are working too much.
Red flags that you are overworked
Compromised sleep
The first thing that suffers when we are overworked is our sleep. There are only so many hours in the day, and thus to make more of the limited time, people then encroach on their sleep time.
However, chronic sleep deprivation is a big red flag. Sleep is not a luxury, but your body needs this time for to carry out essential processes that ensures its smooth running.
Missing sleep causes the hormones to go haywire. It also leads to increased risk of chronic ailments like heart disease and diabetes. Moreover, mental health issues like depression are also accompanied with sleep deprivation.
Chronic stress
Stress is a part and parcel of work. The chronic stress about meeting the never-ending deadlines, keeping the boss happy, dealing with difficult people becomes too much to bear.
Not only is mental health gravely affected on account of the perpetually high stress levels, but it also has an impact on physical health. Dangers of chronic stress includes hypertension, heart disease, sleep problems, sexual dysfunction, decreased immunity etc.
Decreased productivity
Naturally, when your energies are drained, you are taxed and you are mind is numb, your productivity levels will also be decreased. You might be putting in extra hours, but your output will not be as effective as it would have been on a fresh mind.
Our bodies can only by pushed so far, and when you try overdoing it, you defy science; there is only so much work that can eventually be done.
Decreased creativity
Creativity requires a fresh perspective, high morale, great energy levels and a mind that is brimming with ideas. When you are overworked, you stifle all these avenues of creative energy, that then leads to your creativity becoming stale. You cannot think of new things. The prospect of creating brings you anything but joy.
Relationships
If you don’t have time to meet your family and friends because you’re working all the time, then it is also a sign that you are working too much, period.
Mood problems
Another red flag that you are overworked are your mood problems. When work is all that you do, then your life is sure to become filled with negative emotions. Alongside becoming cranky, overwork can also lead to blues, sadness, and even depression.
Tired body
Overwork also leads to bodily fatigue. Most offices involve the use of computers and other forms of desk work, which then leads to chronic back and neck ache. Overuse of the computer also causes computer vision syndrome.
Moreover, people often put in overtime at the expense of a healthy diet and lifestyle choice. Lack of exercise with constantly missed meals or take-outs means that that body is not given enough quality fuel causing problems requiring help from an Online Internal Medicine Specialist then.
