10 Signs You’re Being Overworked [For Employees and Entrepreneurs]

Before you allow your mind to wander to the more stereotypical signs of an overworked profession—such as lack of sleep, poor health, and burnout—it’s important to first recognize the more subtle signs. The signs that slowly affect the smallest daily activities of your workday.

Some of these can be overlooked or forgotten until it’s too late and you’ve found yourself in a situation that could have easily been avoided.

Read until the end to see if you can step up to the challenge I set for my fellow leaders.

Let's get into it.

You've Seen The Signs, You're Simply Ignoring Them

I'm going to throw out an undeniable truth to set the stage for the rest of this article.

You spend every waking moment with yourself.

Fact.

That means you know yourself better than anyone else.

You can tell when something isn't quite right, when things don't feel normal, or when your daily energy is off balance.

While we may overlook this feeling for a few days, we must pay attention to it before it’s too late and the signs of being overwhelmed manifest themselves in more obvious ways.

Here are 10 subtle signs that you’ve taken too much on and are in dire need of a routine reset:

1. You're constantly playing catch-up with tasks.

If you feel like you're always behind in your work no matter how hard you try to stay on top of it, you may be overworked. This could mean that you have too many tasks to complete in the amount of time allotted or that your current workload is simply beyond what you can manage.

2. You're afraid to take a day off.

While it's important to stay dedicated and committed to your work, it's also crucial for you to take some time off. If you feel like stepping away from your job will lead to disaster, then it's likely you need a break to recharge your batteries and restructure your schedule.

3. You rarely have free time or leisure activities.

An important part of staying healthy is finding the right balance between work and leisure activities. These leisure activities include focusing on your physical and mental health as well as your professional responsibilities.

If you've noticed that much of your time is spent on work-related tasks with little room for any other types of personal growth, this could be an indication that a much-needed change is necessary.

4. You’re constantly stressed out and/or anxious about work.

Ongoing stress can be linked to many physical and mental health issues, including insomnia, high blood pressure, headaches, and depression. Next time you experience these feelings of stress and anxiety, take a moment to determine if the source is your job.

5. You're lacking the motivation to work.

If you find yourself frequently feeling uninspired when it comes to work, it may mean that you have taken on more than you can handle so the fire to prosper is no longer there.

This lack of motivation could also cause you to procrastinate on time-sensitive responsibilities which will then lead to more problems down the line.

6. You rarely take breaks throughout the day.

Breaks are important for productivity and creativity, but if your workload is simply too much for one person, taking them can seem impossible and mundane tasks may become overwhelming.

Don’t get me wrong, a break doesn’t always have to mean you’re not still completing some sort of activity. That being said, any activity you take part in during your break must be something that helps you restore and replenish your energy supply.

7. Your health has been affected negatively by work-related stress.

If you are constantly feeling tired, sluggish, and unmotivated, you may be in the danger zone. No amount of success is worth compromising your physical health because frankly, you won’t be around long enough to enjoy the splendors of your hard work.

Take care of your body to efficiently scale your brand.

8. You’ve lost the ability to focus on your work for long periods at a time.

It’s normal for our attention to wander from time to time but if this happens more often than not, it could mean that your plate is too full. The work-related tasks piling up in front of you have now become a seemingly insurmountable mountain.

Analyze your daily rhythm to uncover which tasks you can delegate to trusted members of your A-star team.

9. You feel like there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done.

This is one of the most obvious signs that you may be overworked. If you've got more to do than time available, something likely needs to give—either the number of tasks or your workload. Never compromise your personal development.

10. Your relationships have been affected by your job or business.

Working too much can lead to a disconnect with people in our personal and professional lives. This could show up as grumpiness, lack of communication, lack of empathy, and/or avoidance of social activities.

Strong relationships are what make life worth living so don’t ignore your network.

Do any of these signs sound a little too familiar?

If so, we met at just the right moment in time.

Are You Up For Our Community Challenge?

I caution you and even challenge you to not only think about how these signs affect you. As a servant leader and entrepreneur, you also need to think outward for signs that are showing in your employees.

Joining our Leadership Live Deep Dive call has helped hundreds of professionals become strong leaders within their communities. When you take the time to elevate yourself and develop healthier habits, you ensure that the people on your team do not suffer from the same issues.

By taking the time to invest in yourself on our free live session, you will gain valuable insight into how to create a work culture and atmosphere that encourages productivity while protecting your team’s well-being.

You stay healthy by surrounding yourself with an environment of professionals who have already achieved the work-life integration you desire.

Our powerful community will be better with you in it.

Let's GROW!