Hustle, do more, accomplish more. You will be better, have more likes, and will look more successful.
Hustle culture, work until you drop, and burning the candle at both ends is an epidemic in today’s world. It has been ingrained into our culture that more and faster is better. We should be getting up at 5 am for those intense workouts, and we should be working all hours of the day to keep up, show up, and be the most successful-looking one in the room.
But what if it doesn’t have to be that way?
Part of wellness is slowing down and taking time to get to know who you are as a person. Success should be a personal refinement of what you as a person think is success for yourself and not what other people say it should be.
If success for you is working in a job you love for 20 years, or becoming a best-selling author, it doesn’t mean that one is better than the other. It just means that everyone lives at their own pace and different situations work for different people.
Many people today feel overworked, tired, and spread thin. This is commonly due to too much being put on their plate and not knowing when to say no to extra projects and activities.
How do you know when it is time to cut back or slow down?
- When you find that you can’t focus on one project, or you are doing too many things that are not to your best ability.
- You are constantly drained or feel burnt-out, or like there is no purpose in your work.
- You are late on deadlines, can’t keep up with your work, or simply have lost interest in your work due to too many commitments.
- Your physical and mental health suffer.
How to cut back without burning bridges or defaulting on relationships
- Explain your situation to your colleagues or managers about why and how you are struggling to commit to the workload you carry. This is especially important when it comes to volunteer roles. While volunteering is vital for a healthy society and are great resume builders, it can become demanding in your commitments. Make sure you cut back with grace and an explanation of why you cannot continue or need to cut back.
- Suggest a replacement for your role or project of someone you know who would be interested in the opportunity and introduce them to the team. This can save on having to look for another person.
- Exit with grace. If you find yourself in a situation where you must exit with little notice, give as much notice as you can and ensure that all loose ends are tied up at the end so that the team can pick up where you left off.
Slowing down is important for your mental and physical health. Stress can cause several health conditions. This is why it is important to keep tabs on what you are doing and evaluate projects outside of your main scope of work before you take them on. Always consider how it fits in with your life, how much benefit it is for them and you to be on the team that is asking for your help.
Overall, not over cluttering your life can lead to a higher quality of life and better quality of work. Want to talk about strategies for how you can declutter your life? Or just slow down in general? Contact me on the Contact Us page to chat further!
Bliss + You 