Are You Working Too Much and Not Enjoying Life?

So many people work meaningless, soul-sucking jobs that when you find a job you really care about, it’s like you hit the lottery. But eventually, you find that there’s too much work to do and not enough time. Your relationships suffer. You’re not present for your loved ones. You’re missing out on birthday parties and road trips and happy hours. Working too much and not enjoying life is costing you the most important parts of your life.

And it’s not just that you’re missing stuff. Your mental health is suffering because you’re exhausted and under a lot of pressure. You can’t even make time for yourself, let alone your friends and family. Eventually, you’ll start losing sleep and your physical and mental health will suffer. This is what happens when you overwork yourself.

But just because you’ve become a slave to your job doesn’t mean that it has to stay that way. Putting in place healthy boundaries with your boss, your coworkers, and yourself will allow you to start enjoying your life again. It’s all about finding the right work-life balance.

What Happens When You Overwork Yourself – The Mental Health Effects of Working Too Much

There are two kinds of jobs – the kind you love and the kind you do just for the money. If you’re working your ass off for a job you don’t love only to lose the things and people in your life that feed your soul, you’re going to burn out. You might get sick. Your mental health might suffer. And you could have alienated yourself from your friends and family. This is what happens when you overwork yourself.

But there’s also the type of job that’s your dream job. You love it! You throw yourself into work. Eventually, you start missing out on the things you once loved. When you work too much there’s no time for pleasure. Love rock climbing? No time. Like happy hours with friends? No time. Sunday family dinners? Nope. All you’ve made time for is work, work, work. 

Working too much and not enjoying life – nobody’s got time for that. Life’s too short to be stuck in a job that has you burning the candle at both ends. If this is you, you’ve got a one-way ticket to burnout. 

If you’re working yourself to death, you probably feel anxious and stressed all the time. You may get headaches and body aches that are a physical manifestation of your burnout. This is what happens when you overwork yourself.

There are some people who love working too much. Workaholics who are addicted to work don’t necessarily think they have a problem. But you’re missing out on life if you spend all your time working. Do you really want work to be the only thing in your life?

Feeling Like There’s Too Much Work to Do and Not Enough Time

We’re all busy. But sometimes people create situations that keep them busy all the time. Yes, there are only 24 hours in a day. There are ways to find time to use all those hours efficiently. You need to get enough sleep, work reasonable hours, and make time for your friends, family, and the things you love to do.

It’s easy to feel like there’s too much work to do and not enough time to do it. But that’s a mindset that can easily be changed if you actively try to change it. Instead of feeling like you don’t have enough time, take a look at your workload. See what can be streamlined, what can be passed off to coworkers, and what work isn’t super pressing. Learn to delegate.

You’ll find time to get your work done. There’s always time. The most important thing in your life shouldn’t be work. You’ll find yourself working too much and not enjoying life.

Don’t become a slave to work, no matter how much you love your job. If you’re worried about not getting everything done, make a realistic plan. Break down what needs to get done, how long each task will take, and what you can pass off to someone else. If there’s no one to delegate to, then go through everything you need to do and get rid of what isn’t necessary or time-sensitive. 

If you work for yourself, maybe it’s time to outsource some things. If you’re the boss, delegate, delegate, delegate. If you have coworkers, see if they can share the workload. Make time in your schedule for the things that are most important outside of work. Don’t work your life away.

Working Too Much and Not Enjoying Life?

If you’ve become a workaholic, consider this your intervention. Listen to a therapist who works with stressed, overworked millennials like yourself. I get it, I’ve been there, and I want to help.

Working too much and not enjoying life is a recipe for shitty mental health. You’ll eventually find yourself burned out and unable to do the things you love. If you’re experiencing or on the verge of burnout, know that you have the power to turn things around. You just need some support.

Some driven, perfectionistic people use work as a way to self-soothe. They tell themselves that work is the thing that will help them feel calmer and steadier. If this is you, I highly recommend reconsidering this position. It’s great to have a career you love, but not at the expense of your mental health, social life, and family life.
Don’t pull away from your family and friends. They want to support you. They also want to see you more. If you’ve become addicted to work and are using it as an escape from your life, it’s time to try therapy. 

Therapy and Coaching Can Help You If You’re Working Too Hard and Missing Out on Life

Still not sure whether you’re addicted to work? I can help you work through your challenges and come up with goal-setting strategies to keep you from burning out.

During our work together, you’ll learn how to set realistic goals and see them through. We’ll come up with coping skills to deal with your symptoms and help you step confidently into the world knowing what you’re dealing with and how you can manage it.

I also offer a coaching program for perfectionists that is designed to give you support and guidance around feeling good enough in your professional and personal life – no matter where you live. If you want help overcoming the belief that you have to constantly achieve in order to be worthwhile – and this belief is making you suffer – coaching is for you.

I’m ready if you are. Reach out today to schedule a complimentary consultation.