New Year, New Work Style
Time to stop glamorizing overworking
It’s been barely a complete workweek in 2021 and I already have the year’s engagement deliverables planned out. This was an outcome of a 3-month planning period right before Christmas came around. I knew that going into the holiday season that it was just a smokescreen for what’s to come.
They said “have a restful and peaceful break. We’re looking forward to a greater 2021.”
Let’s pause for a moment and agree that 2021 has to be better. 2020 was rock bottom for most people so we have to be optimistic that the only way for 2021 to be is up.
I spent most of the holiday break thinking about how I’m going to achieve the plan we’ve agreed to deliver on in the new year. There had been a lot of changes in the firm over the last 2 years. And right before Christmas, more changes took effect. This meant that my priorities and responsibilities have shifted once again. It’s a good thing but it’s also difficult because what I had planned for 2021 still needs to be done along with anything else that comes my way with this new role.
I planned the year’s activities and made sure that they were manageable with realistic timings. Too often I find that deadlines are unrealistic and extremely aggressive. Usually it’s because the people setting these deadlines aren’t aware of the amount of work that is required to deliver on something.
As middle management, it’s not very often you get to call the shots. You’re at the mercy of leadership directing your every move and decision. And those decisions are hard to contest. “Just get it done” is the expected behavior.
Hypothetically, let’s use a leadership video as example. It’s not an urgent video, it’s a regular update video. The plan is for it to be released first thing on every second Monday morning of the month. Yet the video is always only ever filmed on the Friday afternoon before the second Monday. Which means, the team will need to edit the video, develop the communications to go alongside that video and obtain the approvals before Monday morning… i.e. over the weekend. Why? Why does it have to be last minute for something that is planned?
People often mistake overworking to be hardworking. Being hardworking doesn’t mean you work all the time or anytime. Being hardworking is being a smart worker. But how can you be a smart worker when the circumstances are out of your control? When pushing back is often not an option. When challenging authorities (for the right reasons) is not well-received.
I’ve made this mistake throughout my career. I’ve never said no to the demands placed on me. I wanted to prove my capabilities and I never heard of anyone else raising concerns so who was I to do so. “If others can do it, I can do it too.”
Nine months ago I finally broke. My mental health gave in and I now have to manage my stress levels and anxiety triggers very carefully. I considered myself to be weak. I blamed myself for not being strong enough to withstand the pressure. But I’m a high performing individual. I know it and my leaders know it. So what happened?
Overworking happened. Stress happened. Burnout happened. I found myself questioning every decision and judgment. I started looking at little setbacks as majors blows to my confidence and competence. I read into every word or sentence that can be interpreted in a negative way against me. I played guessing games as to what I thought people were saying or thinking. I went into a spiral.
It starts from the top. We talk about the importance of good work culture and work-life integration. Especially now, when our homes and offices are one and the same. But I’m seeing people log on much earlier than the start of the work day and log off much later at the end of the day. I’m seeing meetings being held at 7am regularly or 9pm regularly. I’m seeing deadlines being pushed up because they want to fit everything in within what they think is a strategic timeline. I’m seeing people make overworking normal. And normal means expected.
(PS: I’m not referring to flexible working arrangements. I am fully aware that some people have obligations now like homeschooling so they make a conscious effort to log on before/after hours to have focus work time.)
The culture of any office starts with how the leaders lead. If you set an example of working long hours then your people will feel expected to do the same. Your people will not speak up. Your people will burn out. And you will burn out. I did. And I won’t anymore.
So.. this year… new year… new work style. I have to manage this or I will sacrifice my health for it again. And I don’t think I can afford to.
To those of you who think you’re strong and you won’t break… trust me, I thought so too. You’re only human… your body and mind will give in.
Here are some signs you should look out for…
First you need to understand that burnout and stress manifests in different ways for different people. For some it’s mental, for others it could show up physically, and for many… both.
The best way I can describe burnout is the extinction or lack of desire or inability to produce results. It’s the outcome of long-term, prolonged stress which is mostly associated with your job. If you’re feeling constant exhaustion, you hate your job or feel inadequate in your competencies then you are experiencing signs of burnout.
From my experience…
Reduced performance
We’re talking about every day ‘business as usual’ tasks, whether it’s at home or at work. If you’re harboring negative feelings and dread about these tasks and find yourself losing concentration, and also lacking the motivation to do it, be creative or complete the task, these are signs of burnout.
Exhaustion — mentally, emotionally and physically
Even with a full night’s sleep (disrupted or not), you find yourself feeling tired all the time. You’re constantly feeling drained and you’re finding it hard to cope even with the simplest things. When you think about having to do something, it’s like the energy gets completely drains out of you.
Disruptive sleep
For me particularly, I get nightmares and disruptive sleep. It doesn’t matter if I slept a full 8 hours, I never feel rested and I am often traumatized by bad dreams. More specifically, I have negative dreams about work.
Physical manifestations
Headaches, stomachaches, sores, indigestion, migraines… you name it. I have them all. Other signs could be weight loss, or weight gain.
Loss of interest
When you feel burnout, you may tend to become cynically about work or anything related to work. You get frustrated easily and eventually you distance yourself from things to do with work — including social activities. If prolonged, you will start losing interest even in other aspect of life outside of work.
Paranoia
Worrying that people are talking about you, or feel a certain way about you (in a negative way) is the bonus sign that builds on from the above. Feeling negative about work or your working conditions and eventually affecting your psychologically is almost like the next step into burnout.
How to deal with burnout?
All is not lost, my friends. There is hope, it’s reversible. If I could offer some suggestions, these are some things you could do that might help:
Set boundaries
Be firm in when you work and how you work. Your health is more important than work, no matter what you think. We all have responsibilities are home, be it children, elderly, pets or anything else that matters to you. It’s ok to make exceptions to early or late meetings but it should be a norm, neither should it be expected of you.
Coping strategies
This doesn’t only mean how you manage stress. It’s more than that. It’s understanding what triggers you and induces stress. And then finding ways to manage that stress. Some people use meditation. Others have breathing exercises. Schedule breaks or go for walks. Remove yourself from a stressful situation until you’ve had a chance to reset before coming back to it.
Treat yourself better
Take care of yourself. I get that the lack of motivation doesn’t help with things like exercise but getting your body into a good place is one of the fundamental ways to manage stress or burnout. Even if it’s 15 minutes walk around the block, or a short yoga session. Something that you can do while watching TV. The better your body feels, the better your mental state can become.
Eat better. Sleep at a decent time. Take care of yourself.
Take a vacation
As before, remove yourself from a stressful environment so you can recharge and reset. This is only a temporary solution and may not always be enough.
Ask for help
It’s not a weakness to ask your team/co-workers for help. The key here is to work smart. You work for the greater whole and it is not a representation of your work ethic or competency.
Change your working environment
For some, the solution may require you to change a position, join a new team or change the job entirely. Yes, it’s easier said than done. If you are having issues in the workplace, you should try to reach out to the HR department, a supervisor or your employee helpline. You might be surprised that they got your back more than you anticipated.
Speak to a mental health professional
I understand that there is still stigma around this but mental health isn’t something to take lightly. For those of you who can afford it (or if your benefits allows), I do suggest getting help. Sometimes getting a non-biased perspective is helpful and they can help in giving you strategies to any of the above solutions.
So, start the new year right. Work takes up almost 70% of our waking life. Don’t let that be 70% of stress, anxiety and depression. Remember that a healthy body helps a healthy mind…
And leaders… remember that a healthy, happy staff = good business.
Author’s note: All opinions expressed are of my own and do not have affiliations with any corporate entity.
