The overwork trap weaves its tangled web insidiously. We have so much to do we can’t seem to get it all done. We get busier and busier and we fail to catch up. The harder we work, the more mistakes we make. The more mistakes we make, the harder we work. Because of the mistakes we make, the further behind we get.
This frenetic activity can escalate to produce symptoms of burnout or overwork. Multiple physical symptoms: headaches, backaches, GI distress, restless sleep, fatigue. Emotional problems abound: apathy, worry, irritability, depression, anxiety, dreading work, poor work performance, joyless striving. Impaired relationships and a growing sense of disliking the client can also signify overwork.
Preventing burnout comes from recognizing our limitations and seeking variety and balance in our lives. We may be unable to change our environmental stresses, but we can adapt a more moderate response to those stresses by doing the best we can and learning to protect our time.