It is very possible to be overworked. Most people start to feel stressed after working somewhere for 9 months. Now, imagine working somewhere for 9 years (or longer).  Stress is a part of life and knowing how to deal with not only the stress of deadlines, client interactions, and boss pressures- we also have to handle interoffice politics, personal challenges, and – in many cases- kids!  Not being able to handle bills or not making enough money also adds to the surmounting pressures of our daily lives.

So, how do you deal with being overworked and under paid? Well, first you have to consider your environment. Is the job’s stress too much or are the people at work causing more stress than needed? Once you start to look at your environment, you can look at the issues behind your stress and where they are truly coming from.

I don’t ask people what is stressing them out to identify the root of stress at work or personal stress. Instead, I ask them 3 very direct questions. I am listing these questions below. It is my hope that you write each question down on a piece of paper and then really hand write the answers. Being it is Friday, tuck your answers and the paper away for the week and schedule yourself to revisit it at this time next week. You’ll have a fresh perspective and it will help you determine if your overworked stress issues are job-related or people related, which can help you then identify how to approach the issue with a positive solution.

1. Are you not as nice as you want to be or use to be? Really think about how you speak to people and what your body language says. Are you truly being nice? If not, why?

2. Are you always attending your own pity party? Yes, we all do this from time-to-time. We have internal conversations about how we have been short-changed or passed over. But if you do this more than once a month, it is time to consider why these internal conversations are so frequent.

3.  Your mind can’t jump into any other activity. You may find yourself at your child’s soccer game, but maybe your thoughts are with deadlines at work or what that peer said to you in the break room. If you can’t break free from conversations or drama at work (deadlines included), why is this? You should be able to go home or to other events and not have work or work-related stress on your mind.

Until next week,

Maryanne Nicholls with The Joy of Living

Leave a reply:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*