I went from working 70+ hours per week down to working 40 hours per week by incorporating this ONE productivity secret. Here’s how you can bring this to your team, as well.
Take a moment and think about these past 24 hours, this past week, and this past month. Now, ask yourself a question (honest answers only): how many of you got tired just thinking about all the things you did?
You wouldn’t be alone. More than half of U.S. employees feel overworked or overwhelmed at least some of the time and 70 percent say they often dream of having a different job according to a national study released in May 2020 by the Families and Work Institute.
Women reported feeling more overworked than men, and baby boomers, or workers between 36 and 54, said they felt more overworked than those younger and older. Regardless of gender or age, those who said they felt overworked were more likely to neglect themselves, lose sleep, and report high levels of stress. Furthermore, they often were less likely to feel successful in their personal and family relationships.
You would think that 24-hour days and 7-day weeks would be enough to juggle everything. But oftentimes, we live on schedules where every minute counts, and wasting one is met with waves of guilt. With our use– or one might argue, over-use– of cellphones, computers, laptops, tablets, email, social media, and TV we are constantly bombarded with information our brains grapple to process. After journeying through our commitments to our husbands, wives, children, aging parents, sick family members, work, employees, neighbors, and friends, the next thing I often hear and see is that people just become worn out. I spent 25 years in the hospitality industry and the last 14 years being self-employed, working 12,14, and even 16-hour days. I know tired, overworked, and burnout well.
In this COVID-19 environment so many of us are struggling to keep up. So the stress you are feeling to keep up is real. However, even before COVID many of us were asking…What is happening to me? Why am I so busy? How many of you agree with me that it’s just too much!
Most of us are doing our best to manage balancing our work and personal life. We are doing our best to meet deadlines, keep up with customers, employees, and the competition. Being overworked and over-committed is only a part of the answer. Sometimes, it starts at the top.
As leaders and business owners, we have taken some ownership of this problem–rising healthcare-benefit costs sure are costly to the bottom line!
Still, there is more we can do to help our employees. So what is the secret productivity hack I used to cut my 70-hour workweek by 30 hours? It was a matter of creating a simple shift to my workflow approach. I want to encourage you to consider changing the structure of your organizations. Especially in this COVID environment, consider a
- 7-hour workday
- No email policy response after 5 or before 9
- Hiring temp staff for employees on leave ( FMLA, maternity, and disability and vacation)
Let’s encourage healthy work behaviors starting from the top. Employers! Don’t be afraid to allow your people to rest, recharge, and come back better than ever! Employees! Practice healthy workflows and be disciplined in your effort towards a healthy work-life balance.
Book a complimentary “ 70-hour Work Week Cure” assessment and coaching session with me today. Let’s get you balanced again.
