Remedy for overwork? Good habits!

Overwork is a condition of the body caused by too hard, long and continuous work, which very often exceeds the norms established by law and hygiene rules. Overwork is dangerous and can cause physical and mental disorders.

Chronic fatigue leads to exhaustion of the body and disruption of the functioning of some of its systems. In such a situation, our productivity and ability to concentrate decreases, we make the simplest mistakes and cope increasingly badly with stress. Many people do not understand how serious a health risk overwork is and underestimate the importance of rest.

Causes of overwork

Among the many causes of overwork are:

• the frequent stresses that accompany a person both at home and at work;
• lack of quality rest and sleep;
• lack of physical activity with regular mental activity;
• unbalanced diet and eating disorders;
• prolonged and monotonous work.

In doing so, there are two types of overwork: physical and mental. The former develops gradually and to eliminate it, all you need is rest, sleep and relaxation. Mental overwork, on the other hand, progresses gradually and is often not recognized in time.

Are you overworked? The most important symptoms

While physical overwork is easy to recognize, mental overwork is realized when our condition is already serious. Therefore, observe your mood and behavior to spot the main symptoms of overwork early, such as:

• reduced productivity;
• reduced attentiveness and concentration;
• slowness;
• fatigue and apathy;
• redness of the eyes;
• irritability and nervousness;
• headaches;
• attacks of nausea and fainting;
• lack or increase in appetite;
• sleep disturbances.

If you notice these symptoms in yourself, you should take care of yourself immediately. If possible, give up some responsibilities and postpone projects, ask someone to help you, or take a few days off to recuperate.

How to prevent overwork?

Proper work hygiene and organization will help you avoid fatigue and overwork. The most important thing is to develop useful and healthy habits that will make it easier for you to take care of your work-life balance. Here are some such habits:

• plan at the beginning of the day – create lists of current tasks, starting with the most important ones. What’s not essential you can always do later. And remember, measure your strength against your strength – never plan more than you can do;
• get regular sleep – the optimal sleep time for an adult is 8 hours. In addition, ensure that you always sleep at the same hours and in an airy room;
• proper nutrition – a balanced diet is the key to a healthy body and a strong immune system. Don’t skip meals in favor of work – your brain needs food to function;
• Take breaks – when planning your tasks, plan to rest as well. A walk of a few minutes will allow you to stretch your joints and take a break from the monitor, so you can return to work with renewed energy;
• physical activity – walk more and find time for sports, this will improve your mood and well-being;
• hobbies – find something to help you relax and get away from work. This could be knitting, embroidering, watching movies or TV series, reading a book or playing games. The most important thing is that you get only positive emotions out of it.

It may take some time to develop such habits, but it will ultimately save you from extreme overwork and loss of health.

main photo: unsplash.com/Ant Rozetsky