We can all agree that being hardworking is a good thing. But how do you know the difference between being hardworking and working too hard?
Here are a few thoughts: Being hardworking is more about your attitude than it is about your performance. Being hardworking means that you are not looking for a way out of doing things, you don’t just do the minimum required, and you’re not lazy. Not being afraid to work hard is how great families and societies are built.
But are you working too hard? How can you tell?
1. You are consistently skipping your lunch break: We all have times we eat at our desk, or eat during a meeting, but if you find yourself never able to take a lunch break, you may be working too hard.
2. Work consumes your nights and weekends: Sure, we all have seasons in our jobs where going the extra mile is required and late nights here and there are what it takes to get the job done. But if you can’t remember when last you went home at a normal time or had a weekend to relax, you may be working too hard.
3. Your sleep is interrupted by work worries: This happens to many of us from time to time but if you find that you often lie awake at night anxious about your job, you may be working too hard.
Our jobs are a blessing and we should be hardworking people who give our best, but at the same time, we do need to monitor our workload so that we don’t end up burning out.
Our jobs are something we do – they are not who we are. As much as we need to be good stewards of the jobs God has given to us, we also need to be good stewards of our mental and physical well-being.
If you find that you are working too hard, check back next week for the second part of this post where we will look at practical things you can do about it.
God is the giver of all good things because He loves us. If you feel overwhelmed with anxiety and stress, you are not alone. Click on the link below or on the pop up for some more info on how you can connect with God.