No matter if you are employed or self-employed the pressure to be available and working at all hours of the day, night and weekend can be overwhelming. Technology has led us into an ‘always contactable’ situation. Be it email, WhatsApp, texts or calls, we are always expected to be online. Our devices alert us to just about everything, making it almost impossible to escape.
When was the last time someone said “I know it's late, but could you just…” or “This won’t take a sec…” and then go into something that will no doubt eat into your personal time but will likely p*ss you off for the rest of the day? Switching off from work and consciously separating work from your personal life may seem difficult but your mental wellbeing needs you to make the change.
What happens to our bodies when we are overworked?
Our body has an incredible way of trying to tell us when something is wrong, if we consciously choose to listen is a whole other story. Of course, these could also be something entirely different so you should always book in to see your GP.
Symptoms include:
Aches and pains particularly in the shoulders, neck and back
Tension headaches or migraine
Tired all of the time/suffering from insomnia
Constant sick feeling or pains in the stomach
Digestion problems
Lethargy
Panic or anxiety attacks
These can all lead to much more serious health complications if they go unchecked.
What happens to our minds when we are overworked?
Low mood, depression or anxiety or if you are lucky, all three at the same time!!!
Lack of focus
Difficulty concentrating
Impaired memory
The inability to get excited over anything and always believe the worst
Suicidal thoughts
How do you cope?
It can be easy to turn to drugs, alcohol, gambling, shopping, anything that attempts to help us to switch off. This only leads to a whole host of new problems such as addiction. Recognising what your body and mind are trying to tell you is the first step to taking control and doing something about it.
Take a step back and assess your life and what needs to change and review regularly. Work needs to be a big part of your life but not the whole of your life. Strike a healthy work/life balance to enable you to set boundaries, not only with your peers but family and friends too. Set a clear distinction of when work time is and when downtime is and make sure they all know.
Recognise how you are feeling and what it is that is making you feel this way. You might find journaling helpful. Sometimes getting all of your thoughts and feelings out of your head is very therapeutic. Once you understand what your triggers are you can begin to do something about it. Just remember, how you feel is 100% valid and allow yourself to feel this way.
Make a list of what you would like to change, what you can change now and what you could change in the future. For example, your boss always expects you to work late because they do but doesn’t pay you to do so. You can address this with them and explain that it is important to have a work-life balance and should the role require additional hours then you should be financially rewarded. It's always easier to work with what you have now rather than begin from scratch so it may be a longer-term goal to get another job, in the short term there are compromises to have. Even if the answer is no, you then have clarity of where you stand.
Talk it through with someone that you trust. You don’t need to take their advice but having an outsider’s opinion can be helpful. Chances are that they have been through the same thing before and will be more than willing to listen and help you. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to someone that you know, there are plenty of supportive Social Media groups and online forums.
Take action. It is all good and well coming up with a plan, but without putting it to use, you will never feel the benefit. There will always be good days and bad days, no one escapes those, but how you manage your mental health is something that you can decide to protect.
Never be afraid to seek help if things become unmanageable. The Charity Mind has put together these useful contacts.
Samaritans. To talk about anything that is upsetting you, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone), email jo@samaritans.org or visit some branches in person. You can also call the Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day).
SANEline. If you're experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).
National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK. Offers a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652 (open 24/7).
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). You can call the CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you are struggling and need to talk. Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could try the CALM webchat service.
The Mix. If you're under 25, you can call The Mix on 0808 808 4994 (3pm–midnight every day), request support by email using this form on The Mix website or use their crisis text messenger service.
Papyrus HOPELINEUK. If you're under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings, or concerned about a young person who might be struggling, you can call Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141 (weekdays 10am-10pm, weekends 2pm-10pm and bank holidays 2pm–10pm), email pat@papyrus-uk.org or text 07786 209 697.
Nightline. If you're a student, you can look on the Nightline website to see if your university or college offers a night-time listening service. Nightline phone operators are all students too.
Switchboard. If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day), email chris@switchboard.lgbt or use their webchat service. Phone operators all identify as LGBT+.
C.A.L.L. If you live in Wales, you can call the Community Advice and Listening Line (C.A.L.L.) on 0800 132 737 (open 24/7) or you can text 'help' followed by a question to 81066.
Helplines Partnership. For more options, visit the Helplines Partnership website for a directory of UK helplines. Mind's Infoline can also help you find services that can support you. If you're outside the UK, the Befrienders Worldwide website has a tool to search by country for emotional support helplines around the world.
Stay safe, stay healthy and take control of your mental wellbeing.