47: Help! I'm Working 14 Hour Days

Any chance you're feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work you're trying to get done in a day?  Routinely finding yourself working 14-hour days with no end in sight? Skipping meals, delaying sleep because there's simply too much to do?

We hear you.  Nayla and Eric start by saying: pause.

The panic cycle of overwhelm will only grow and grow if we don't step away from the real and perceived churn to pause, breathe and reflect. Stepping away to give your brain, body and nervous system a break may seem like an indulgence, but we believe it is a necessity.  This pause allows us distinguish between activity and productivity, to see the problem clearly, and take action.

We introduce the analogy of the dance floor versus the balcony.  The dance floor is thrilling and often chaotic – it can also be overwhelming and when we're stuck on it, it's hard to see anything more than a few feet away.  We have to choose to see the higher-level perspective of what we're working towards – getting to the 'balcony' allows us to see the overarching goals, how far we've come, and how to adjust our schedules accordingly.

Morning or evening routine can give us a chance to get to the balcony, as can a good habit of moving ourselves throughout the day, literally getting up to change our perspective at intervals to ask ourselves: is my attention where it should be?  Am I getting results from how I'm spending my time?

We also ask our listeners: Where are the expectations for the long, grueling, breakless days coming from?  It's possible that your boss has unrealistic standards?  Sure.  Is it just as likely (maybe more likely) that you are putting this pressure on yourself?

If you need clarity, it's time to enlist help.  We suggest tools like a time audit to get an honest accounting of where your time is going, and then engaging your manager in a prepared thoughtful conversation to check assumptions and right-set expectations.

 

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

 

To learn more about us and our work, visit www.insidejobthepodcast.com or email us at [email protected].

 

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, check out our show notes.

 

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