One of the worst feelings in the world is exhaustion. The feeling of tiredness dragging you down, the overwhelming need to close your eyes and just sleep? It’s horrible to have to deal with that level of exhaustion, especially when all you want to do is just curl up and rest and you just can’t because there is so much to do. It’s in these moments that you really have to ask yourself, do you REALLY have to get everything done at once? As far as we’re concerned, you really don’t. There is nothing in life that is worth exhausting yourself to the point you feel sick, sore, and so tired that your eyes hurt. Work can wait. The housework can wait. 

Overloading yourself with work is the way you burn out. When you burn out, your body has already reached the point of no return, which means that you have done way too much and shouldn’t continue to push yourself to do more. Saying “no” is the best thing that you can do for your body, even if it’s not the best thing that you can do for your mind (or your bank account). You will see that there is so much in the media about mental load and doing too much. The effects can be detrimental to your health, which is why you need to step back and say no occasionally. The thing is, there is a chance that you haven’t even recognised that you’re doing too much. Sure, you’re feeling exhausted, but sometimes the work just creeps up on you, making you forget to stay hydrated, forget to eat well and generally making you feel like rubbish. 

Before you know it, you’re Googling how to quit your job, how to get rid of bags under your eyes, and how to make your skin less dry and flaky. It’s all a big part of the toll that exhaustion takes on your body. It’s a harsh thing to deal with, and when you try to do too much, it will come up and bite you in the end. No one can do everything, so if you’re worried you’re taking on too much, it’s best to check. Below, we’ve got ten clear signs that you’re doing far more than you should be, so you can take a moment and just press pause.

• Becoming Forgetful. The very first sign of doing too much is that other things just start falling out of your head! You need lists, lots of lists, and you need to start saying no on a few things so that the essential things aren’t those that you forget.
• You’ve Stopped Your Skincare Routine. That routine that you honed so carefully every single day has gone out the window, and your skin is looking dry and pallid. Your eyes are looking droopy, and you really need to restart your skincare routine each night. If you’re collapsing into bed every night before you do your routine, you need to scale back and start bringing it back in!
• Chasing Your Tail? Sometimes, you set up a list of priorities that you have for each day. Every day, you end up chasing your own tail, trying to get to everything. Each time you forget to do something, you’re adding it to the bottom of the list and bam – constant chase.
• Saying NO To The Important Stuff. You’re doing far too much if you know you have to do stuff, but you just don’t do them: because you know you cannot get to them in time. Think about how many times you’re rewashing the same load of clothes at home because you just don’t have time to sort through it all and get it hung up in time? When this happens, you’re doing far too much because this is a priority! You need clean clothes, but if you’re not keeping up with your personal care, you cannot keep this going.
• Failing Others. You keep making and breaking promises to your friends and family. You don’t want to fail them, but you’re not keeping up with life, so round and round it goes. When you have kids, and you tell them you have to work, you’ll see the sadness in their eyes when they realise that you’re serious and they back off. You cannot fail your people in favor of your work. You also have to stop failing yourself!
• Making False Promises. It’s a bad sign if you know that every time you tell someone, you’ll get back to them, or you’ll “do it later”, you know it won’t happen. You say it, but you don’t mean it.
• Stress, Stress, Stress. The physical signs of stress such as the bags under your eyes, the pale skin and thinning hair are all going to be very obvious if you don’t start slowing down. People around you will be concerned, especially when you have too much to do, and you aren’t taking care of yourself. Your body will react to the pressure it’s under, so it’s up to you to ensure that you are working on that and providing that you are looking after it.
• Insomnia Awakens. Speaking of not taking care of yourself, you need to think about how your sleep is going to be affected. Your mind being overcrowded means that your sleep will be overcrowded, and you won’t be able to sleep or rest properly. It’s a big sign that you’re doing too much when you cannot relax and get well-rested at night time.
• You Missed The Opportunity Knock. Do you know the phrase, “opportunity knocks”? Well, it knocked, and you were too busy on other things to notice. You need to stop missing the opportunities that turn up right in front of you and grab them with both hands. Your life mustn’t be overtaken by being too busy.
• It’s Not Manageable. You’re up at 5am for work, and you’re in bed at 11pm, and you still haven’t got things done. This happens when you have no concept of managing your time. It’s like standing in front of a mountain and saying you have no problem climbing it. You can get halfway up before an avalanche moves you inches back again. Over and over. This workload is that mountain, and no matter how much you try to climb it, you’re going to get pushed back down. . If you are feeling any of these and feel that you are alone and unable to deal with the situation alone, ask for help. HR wellbeing is available to support employees like you and companies such as Koa Health, offer accessible mental health and wellbeing support to help you get through workplace challenges and everyday stress.   

When you let your job get on top of you, you will feel it in your bones. Your body will be tired, your brain will be weary, and you will have a line of people wanting your time that you just cannot give them. It’s so important that you assess your workload and ensure that you reduce your stress levels. You need to provide yourself with a proper break. Take some time away from work, head to a spa and get your skin reinvigorated once more. Get your body back to feeling boosted and enjoy every single second of your own time again. Yes, it will feel weird to not work for a while, but your body and your brain will thank you. Your family and friends will thank you and your clothes will, too, because you won’t be washing the same load for the sixth day in a row!

Prioritize yourself; it’s okay to say no to the things that are stressing you out. Don’t be afraid to recognize these signs and finally put yourself first. 

Photo by Andrew Neel from Pexels

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