Work Got You Down? Unload the Overload!
By Erin Giebler-Hill, for Revive Your Life
Photo by bcymet
Many employees know what is expected of them. The minimum number of hours they’re expected to spend at work usually falls into the typical eight hours a day, 40 hours a week shift. But, what about the maximum number of hours? Most employers don’t define this as part of a job description, and there seems to be an unlimited amount of work to be done. In this case, it is up to you, the employee, to set and stick to a maximum number of hours you want to spend at work–away from your family, home, and enjoyable hobbies.
Megan Duncan, a reporter, is experienced enough to know her limits. For example, she knows she can write three detailed news articles and a few brief pieces each day.
“Beyond that, I just get myself too confused and overwhelmed,” she said.
Feeling overwhelmed is one of the first symptoms of work overload. Not far behind that are stress, frustration, and the feeling that you are totally out of control. All of these will cause you to be unhappy with your job and yourself because you can’t stay on top of all the things you have taken on.
“Employees who spread themselves too thin end up not enjoying their time at work,” Chris Wilson, an office manager, said. “Productivity declines and they also feel they’re not doing a good job or aren’t up to the tasks when, in reality, they’re just taking on too much.”
Establishing your workload limit is a great way to keep you out of the quicksand of an endless stack of papers. There is no one in the world who knows how you work, what you can produce, and when enough is enough better than you. You need to determine your limit, be vocal about it, and stick to it.
If you are in a situation where you’ve reached your limit and someone, usually your boss, asks you for your time on an additional task, you need to let them know you are maxed out. However, don’t just blurt out a ‘no’ and send them on their way. Instead, practice the fine, appreciated art of compromise.
“Often, I say I won’t be able to get this done by tomorrow. Can it wait a day or two?” Duncan said. “Alternatively, I say if I prioritize to get this done today, other work won’t get done until the next day.”
Make sure you let the requestor know you feel their task is important, but you already have all you can handle. If the need is immediate and important, reprioritize what you’re doing to fit it in that day and move something to the next day. Make sure the work you put off doesn’t need your attention right away. If you stay on top of what you are working on, you’ll know what can be put aside.
Also, if you are frequently overloaded, talk with you boss about your needs and tell them ahead of time exactly how much work you can take on in a specific period of time. If you can see the work you have or will have in the near future, estimate the time you will spend on those tasks and let your boss know how much time they require and if you have any extra time for additional work. The more you can keep control of your workload, the easier it is to manage and focus on your tasks and those that might be coming your way.
“I keep a running list of the projects I am working on, so when my boss asks me what I’m doing, or what I’ve done, I can quickly and accurately detail what’s up,” Duncan said.
Of course, no one likes to hear that something they feel they need you to do right away has to be put on a waiting list. Depending on what kind of relationship you have with the requestor and what their personality is like, they could be understanding or down right rude in their response. You will quickly learn how to approach each type of person in these situations. Just remember, do not let anyone bully you into going over your limit. If you let it slide once, you will most definitely let it slide again later.
“Everyone needs to work together,” Wilson said. “You need to make it known that you have priorities and when they can’t be shifted, that’s it, the person needs to find someone else.”
Duncan knows and expresses to her coworkers that every project and person deserves the proper amount of time. She said it is important to her to make sure her boss finds someone else who can take the work if she can’t give the appropriate amount of time to do it right.
As long as you are managing your time efficiently and working your best, it is not your fault when you cannot handle work over your limits.
“I feel guilty [when I pass on work]. If I don’t do something that means someone else will have to,” Duncan said. However, she said, she has taken on work before to help a coworker out so it is only fair others do the same.
Duncan said she may also feel jealous when she’s missing out on some of the excitement of a good story she had to pass on covering.
“If you feel you’re missing out on an opportunity, do your best to try to reprioritize,” Wilson said. “You’ll be much more productive when you can work on something you enjoy rather than sitting at your desk thinking about the cool project you had to give up.”
Wilson said if you cannot rearrange your workload, ask your boss to let you know when the opportunity comes around again to work on such a task, and keep your eyes open for them.
“Bosses tend to forget things,” Wilson said. “It’s up to you to remind and approach them when these opportunities show up.”
The important thing when setting and managing your workload limit is to remember that you need balance in your life. Work cannot consume all the hours of your day. You will still be respected and valued if you have to pass on some tasks once in a while as long as you are producing your best work on the projects you do take on. Compromise, but also be firm, and let people know that your limits need to be respected.
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It’s easy to let work consume our hours. However, when we are in overload, our effectiveness and efficiency reduces. As you suggested, it is far better to delegate or get some support. It is important to find balance, or we will suffer from burnout! You’ve got great suggestions here for managing our workload. Thanks for the tips!
You’re right Evelyn, we need to break away from the excess stress caused by our jobs and instead focus on being effective employees. Thanks for the comment!
[...] Learning to say no to requests, especially if others can satisfy them just as well, and delegating authority as well as responsibility can be very effective ways to reduce stress in the [...]