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More than ever, employees and managers alike are overwhelmed by their workloads and feeling stressed out. But are you someone who doesn’t set boundaries and limits on what’s handed to you or what you agree to take on, resulting in you doing too much at work and feeling pressured almost constantly? When does a busy period with long hours morph into burnout and excessive workplace stress? It’s important to know how to recognise the telltale signs of having too much stress at work.
Fortunately, predictable red flags appear that signal when you’ve either been assigned, or you’ve agreed to absorb, more than you can reasonably handle. According to Janna Young on Healthline.com, here are some red flags that you are working too much.
1. You turn to alcohol for relaxation
Working more than 40 hours per week can make you more likely to drink “risky” amounts of alcohol. That’s a minimum of 14 drinks for women and 21 drinks for men per week.
Excessive alcohol consumption can also increase your risk for life-threatening conditions.
2. Your productivity is stalling
If you’ve increased your hours without significant results, the long hours are probably decreasing your productivity. A Stanford research paper found that people who worked 70 hours per week didn’t get more work done than their peers who worked 56 hours. We are not wired to be productive every minute of every day.
3. You aren’t getting enough sleep and have daytime fatigue
Being up longer leads to less sleep and more daytime fatigue. Poor sleep doesn’t just make you grumpy. It decreases productivity while increasing your risk for chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
4. You’ve been feeling depressed
Working too much can take a toll on your mental health. People who work less are more likely to battle depression than those who work too much.
5. Your heart is working overtime too
You might not notice it, but work stress can release the hormone cortisol, which is hard on your heart. This, in turn, can increase your risk for stroke, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer.
6. Your back and neck are aching
A study in the Occupational & Environmental Medicine journal found that the more hours people worked, the greater their risk for back pain. For women, the pain tends to show up in the neck, while for men it’s in the lower back. It’s a common sign of stress caused by muscle tension.
7. Your relationships are taking a hit
Even if you have time for relationships, the stress, fatigue, and depression that you’re experiencing due to work may take a toll on them as well because work can stick with you after hours, especially if you’re self-employed.
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