3 Things To Do When You're Overworked And Underpaid
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Health and Wellness

3 Things To Do When You're Overworked And Underpaid

Don't let your situation of being overworked be your death sentence.

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3 Things To Do When You're Overworked And Underpaid
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Are you overworked? If you’re American the answer is probably yes.

If you’re not sure if you’re overworked the answer is still probably yes, as one of the literal symptoms of being overworked is the inability to even be present enough to realize that you areoverworked. In our fast-paced world of Tweeting and Tumbling where it seems that everybody is doing everything all the time, being overworked is a common reality. We are constantly being asked to process more information and do more, even when we’re not working or in school—and when we are working or in school (or both) it becomes second nature to be overworked.

College students especially know all too well what it feels like to be overworked. Long nights, sleep deprivation, and a to-do list that seems to grow longer faster than it is accomplished all lead to a sense of foreboding stress that hovers around long after your assignments are finished and keeps you up at night, mentally going over your plans for the next day, week, and semester. Add in a slew of extracurricular activities, social obligations, and simple daily tasks and you have a clear-cut recipe for “Doing Too Much.”

Long story short, you’re probably overworked—so what are you going to do about it?

In most cases, unfortunately, you can’t just drop everything or lighten your workload (those assignments aren’t going to do themselves and ignoring them means hurting your overall performance). To keep yourself from burning out and killing your health, it’s important that you do what you can to “cope” with being overworked, but where to start?

1. To-Do Lists

Step one of dealing with being overworked is to start making to-do lists, and to make them the right way. A to-do list in itself is nothing but an organized physical reminder of all the stress you have in your life, but a successful to-do list is a practical tool to be used to your advantage. According to Vanessa Loder, a contributor to Forbes, every successful to-do list has five basic traits: 1.) simplicity, 2.) proactivity, 3.) priority, 4.) organization, and 5.) realism.

Make your to-do list small. Loder recommends making your to-do list only three items long—but if that seems unreasonable to you, just try to keep it to a single digit number. Making a lengthy to-do list just makes you feel guilty. Loder also recommends writing your to-do list the night before and putting your tasks in order of importance which will keep you from putting your whole life on your to-do list. It’s also important to be realistic. Yes, you have a lot to do, and no, you can’t do it all at once.

To-do lists are meant to spur you on, not make you feel unaccomplished—so stick with Loder’s recommendations and you’re on your way to keep things in line.

2. Check In With Yourself

You don’t need to meditate, but you do need to check in with yourself—mentally and physically—now and again to keep yourself from going crazy. Even if you think you don’t have time to take care of yourself, you do, and it’s very important. Take time to have unconscious thought—let your body go into autopilot and your mind wander without restraint. A lot of people find time for unconscious thought while they’re in the shower, and it’s during this time that some of your most creative ideas will come to you, right when you’re not trying to push your mind to come up with something.

Taking regular breaks for yourself, and even spending leisure time with your friends and family, is essential to making you as productive and healthy as possible. Don’t study for four hours straight without getting up to take a short walk around your room or campus now and again, stay hydrated, and reward your hard work with a few minutes snapchatting friends or watching short videos.

3. Don’t Go It Alone

As much as we might like to withdraw from socializing when life gets chaotic, being surrounded by family, friends, classmates, and colleagues who can support us can be just the boost we need. According to an article by several doctors for Mental Help, socializing actually increases a hormone in your body that reduces anxiety levels and helps you cope with stressors better.

Getting work done is crucial to staying on top of things, but getting together with friends is just as crucial to keeping your mood energetic and optimistic. Often times, sharing your burdens with others—and in turn, sharing in their burdens—helps to lift the load from your shoulders. Being overworked is not a reality that you are alone in living, and when we recognize each other’s struggle we get one step closer to making our work load more manageable.

Don’t let your situation of being overworked—whether unavoidable or a temporary situation due to over-extending yourself—be a death sentence to your health and happiness. With a little focus and proper organization, you can handle all the insane work that life throws your way, all while keeping your head on.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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