Something we see regularly is people in senior positions at work who can’t say no. They take on tasks and responsibilities far in excess of their job description, volunteer in meetings for more work, expand their workload and generally overload themselves.
On the face of it, it seems like this person is being helpful, contributing to the smooth running of the organisation and being a proactive and reliable employee. In reality though, sometimes this can cause problems as the person becomes overloaded and increasingly stressed. Working hours become longer, work is taken home, emails are answered into the evening and during weekends.
Does this sound familiar? If so, it could be time to take a step back and evaluate your workload and your work-life balance. Is work encroaching on your spare time? Is it beginning to eat into your ‘me time’?
It is really important that we have time to ourselves when we switch off from work – time to relax, refresh, re-charge our batteries and enjoy activities other than work. It can be daunting to say ‘no’ in a work situation but make an effort to not always be the person who volunteers first. Remember also to delegate effectively if you manage a team – delegating properly not only frees up your time but can help develop your staff as they learn new skills and take on new responsibilities.
If you struggle to say no, and you feel your professional life is getting on top of you, we can provide coaching to teach you the skills to re-balance your life.
Contact me on cathy.hilton@thriveminds.co.uk to find out more.