How to fight against overwork?
12 April 2013
Read by 2161 persons
Work is a job, but also a burden we carry on our shoulders, more or less heavy depending on the times and individuals. How to prevent it from crushing us? The answer from our contributor Philippe Laurent.
Work is a job, but it is also a burden that we carry on our shoulders. More or less heavy depending on the times, the companies, the professions and the individuals, work is a burden because it implies responsibility. The person in charge of an activity must ensure and guarantee that it can be carried out successfully, just as the courier is responsible for delivering the package to its recipient as quickly as possible.
This responsibility "rests" on him, weighs on him, sometimes crushes him. The burden weighs on the person, the team and the company. In periods of high activity, it increases because it is necessary to make a greater effort to execute the workload. In times of crisis, it is even heavier because it is necessary to do more, better, faster with fewer resources.
There is overload when the "package" of responsibility is too heavy for the carrier, who no longer feels able to deliver it on time. The person who is overworked feels oppressed, either because their package is objectively too heavy, or because it is subjectively too heavy compared to what they can carry. If the first steps can be taken easily, over time back pain appears, forcing the traveler to stop and drop their burden so as not to collapse.
Work can be likened to this forced march of commandos
For some people, work can be likened to this forced march of commandos. Not everyone has the physical and psychological resistance of a commando! A study shows that overload is the very first cause of stress at work. What to do? How to prevent or cure overwork?
Overload comes first from the one who loads: he can do it by taking into account the resistance and good will of the person; he can also do it with the immediate goal of unloading himself without paying attention to the carrier. And there, as long as the carrier does not say that he can no longer, he is given more work. There is also a feeling of overload when work suddenly falls on the shoulders of the employee, without preparation or progression.
The relationship of subordination can sometimes force obedience, preventing the person from saying no, either out of resignation, or because their hierarchy leaves them no choice. Overload can also come from an unequal distribution of work within the team. Finally, it can come from the carrier himself, from his way of working or from the fact that he adds work to himself to push his own limits or prove himself to others.
How can you tell if someone is overworked?
Chronic overwork is "heavy" with consequences: it is a danger for the person and therefore a risk for the company. The sooner it is revealed, the better it is for both. How can you tell if someone is overworked? When they can no longer carry anything, even a minimal weight. When the weight of professional worries prevents them from enjoying their personal life. When they are stressed about not being able to do everything, about seeing things piling up. When they feel overwhelmed, drowning.
Insomnia, back pain, heart attacks, nervousness, feverishness, irritability and guilt are all physical and psychological symptoms that should alert us. This profound work imbalance necessarily affects personal life, which can become unbearable. The risk for the company is very high: bad image for customers; bad atmosphere; lack of anticipation, reactivity and creativity. By constantly having their "nose to the grindstone", the overworked person ends up performing their work mechanically without taking the time to look at others, to think, to breathe, to live.
What to do when you are overworked?
What to do when you are overworked? Above all, do not wait until you are at the end of your rope. Talk to a colleague or your boss as soon as the first symptoms appear. Recognizing your limits and asking for help from your boss is not easy, but it is a courageous and beneficial gesture, because a true boss is there to help, support and encourage. On the contrary, hiding your limits inevitably leads to failure.
Stopping for a moment to take stock is also essential to better understand the reasons for the overload and how to reduce it: lack of delegation, procrastination, poor organization, perfectionism, lack of prioritization. An outside perspective is then precious, because it allows you to face reality more objectively and to gradually get out of the rut.
The first way to avoid overload is to know yourself well, both in your abilities and your limits. This lucidity allows you to dare to say no and to take the time to think before saying yes. Before taking on a new task, checking the state of your resources is not a luxury. Prudence can lead you to shed another burden, to lighten your load.
Moreover, I can "challenge" the work that is asked of me by questioning its why and its usefulness, just as I can strengthen my back by working more efficiently. If I am at the head of a team, I can avoid overload by distributing the activity across the entire team and by creating the conditions for a positive synergy that multiplies the collective potential. Finally, whoever I am, I must be attentive to the signs of my body and listen to my loved ones who often have a more lucid view than mine on my own situation.
Philippe Laurent.
Lexpress.fr
Published on March 25, 2013.
Posted online on April 12, 2013.
Work is a job, but it is also a burden that we carry on our shoulders. More or less heavy depending on the times, the companies, the professions and the individuals, work is a burden because it implies responsibility. The person in charge of an activity must ensure and guarantee that it can be carried out successfully, just as the courier is responsible for delivering the package to its recipient as quickly as possible.
This responsibility "rests" on him, weighs on him, sometimes crushes him. The burden weighs on the person, the team and the company. In periods of high activity, it increases because it is necessary to make a greater effort to execute the workload. In times of crisis, it is even heavier because it is necessary to do more, better, faster with fewer resources.
There is overload when the "package" of responsibility is too heavy for the carrier, who no longer feels able to deliver it on time. The person who is overworked feels oppressed, either because their package is objectively too heavy, or because it is subjectively too heavy compared to what they can carry. If the first steps can be taken easily, over time back pain appears, forcing the traveler to stop and drop their burden so as not to collapse.
Work can be likened to this forced march of commandos
For some people, work can be likened to this forced march of commandos. Not everyone has the physical and psychological resistance of a commando! A study shows that overload is the very first cause of stress at work. What to do? How to prevent or cure overwork?
Overload comes first from the one who loads: he can do it by taking into account the resistance and good will of the person; he can also do it with the immediate goal of unloading himself without paying attention to the carrier. And there, as long as the carrier does not say that he can no longer, he is given more work. There is also a feeling of overload when work suddenly falls on the shoulders of the employee, without preparation or progression.
The relationship of subordination can sometimes force obedience, preventing the person from saying no, either out of resignation, or because their hierarchy leaves them no choice. Overload can also come from an unequal distribution of work within the team. Finally, it can come from the carrier himself, from his way of working or from the fact that he adds work to himself to push his own limits or prove himself to others.
How can you tell if someone is overworked?
Chronic overwork is "heavy" with consequences: it is a danger for the person and therefore a risk for the company. The sooner it is revealed, the better it is for both. How can you tell if someone is overworked? When they can no longer carry anything, even a minimal weight. When the weight of professional worries prevents them from enjoying their personal life. When they are stressed about not being able to do everything, about seeing things piling up. When they feel overwhelmed, drowning.
Insomnia, back pain, heart attacks, nervousness, feverishness, irritability and guilt are all physical and psychological symptoms that should alert us. This profound work imbalance necessarily affects personal life, which can become unbearable. The risk for the company is very high: bad image for customers; bad atmosphere; lack of anticipation, reactivity and creativity. By constantly having their "nose to the grindstone", the overworked person ends up performing their work mechanically without taking the time to look at others, to think, to breathe, to live.
What to do when you are overworked?
What to do when you are overworked? Above all, do not wait until you are at the end of your rope. Talk to a colleague or your boss as soon as the first symptoms appear. Recognizing your limits and asking for help from your boss is not easy, but it is a courageous and beneficial gesture, because a true boss is there to help, support and encourage. On the contrary, hiding your limits inevitably leads to failure.
Stopping for a moment to take stock is also essential to better understand the reasons for the overload and how to reduce it: lack of delegation, procrastination, poor organization, perfectionism, lack of prioritization. An outside perspective is then precious, because it allows you to face reality more objectively and to gradually get out of the rut.
The first way to avoid overload is to know yourself well, both in your abilities and your limits. This lucidity allows you to dare to say no and to take the time to think before saying yes. Before taking on a new task, checking the state of your resources is not a luxury. Prudence can lead you to shed another burden, to lighten your load.
Moreover, I can "challenge" the work that is asked of me by questioning its why and its usefulness, just as I can strengthen my back by working more efficiently. If I am at the head of a team, I can avoid overload by distributing the activity across the entire team and by creating the conditions for a positive synergy that multiplies the collective potential. Finally, whoever I am, I must be attentive to the signs of my body and listen to my loved ones who often have a more lucid view than mine on my own situation.
Philippe Laurent.
Lexpress.fr
Published on March 25, 2013.
Posted online on April 12, 2013.
