The 8 consequences of overwork

Work is necessary both to guarantee the means of subsistence and to develop a good self-esteem; By feeling useful, we learn to believe in ourselves. However, like any habit, overwork can damage our physical and mental health with astonishing ease.

That is why it is important to always monitor the amount of work that we face on a day-to-day basis, on the one hand, and the way in which we react to it, on the other. Otherwise, the logic of productivity will drag us to make professional work our reason for living, something that cannot be healthy.

• Related article: "Work and organizational psychology: a profession with a future"

These are the effects of overwork

To prevent problems related to overwork, we must know how to recognize the warnings that the body sends us. Below you can see what they are and how they are expressed in your body.

1. Anxiety

It is the clearest consequence of all. It is a feeling of unease and alertness that, in turn, makes it more difficult for us to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Anxiety makes us always activated but that, at the same time, we are afraid to think about our responsibilities, for which we postpone some of them. Is procrastination contributes to the accumulation of obligations.

2. Burnout

Burnout syndrome is a psychological and physical condition typical of demanding work environments and with little capacity to respond to the needs of professionals. It consists of a mixture of depersonalization, crisis due to the absence of motivating expectations, and anxiety generated by job stagnation and monotony.

It should be borne in mind that the Burnout syndrome does not have to appear due to overwork, but rather has to do with repetition and the lack of moments to take a break and get away from the work context. Thus, taking time to recharge and clear your mind often helps, but in other cases it is necessary to change occupations to feel good.

• Related article: "Burnout: how to detect it and take action"

3. Work addiction

Paradoxically, overwork can make us enslave ourselves even more under the yoke of future tasks to be carried out and needs to attend to. Why? Because the fact of having gone through difficult and unpleasant situations to reach the objectives that we have marked makes us deny less margin to choose if in the future we are in a situation again similar.

Simply, the possibility of making our project or company be damaged by our inability to work It seems an intolerable idea in view of the sacrifices we have had to make so that this initiative does not fail.

On the other hand, we run the risk of normalizing overwork, assuming the belief that always being overwhelmed is what can always be expected, normal. From this point of view, avoiding more work or taking a break is irresponsible.

• You may be interested: "Workaholic: causes and symptoms of work addiction"

4. Carpal tunnel syndrome

It is one of the most common physical problems among workers who use computers a lot, such as clerks, computer scientists, or copywriters. It appears when the fact of having the hand in the same position to use the keyboard causes one of the nerves of the hand to be pressed at the wrist.

5. Lumbar pain

As work accumulates, we are much less likely to perform the tasks necessary to work while maintaining standards of well-being, and taking breaks to change positions or stretch your legs is one of those options.

Sitting all the time in the two or three positions that we think help us produce faster damages both our muscles and the joints of our spine. Over time, it helps us to adopt that hunched position when walking or standing.

6. Insomnia

Sleep problems are common when there is too much work. The causes of this are rumination and recurring thoughts based on one's own obligations, as well as the destructuring of working hours and the excessive use of screens.

• Related article: "Fight insomnia: 10 solutions to sleep better"

7. Gastric problems

The digestive system is very sensitive stress and anxiety problems, so overwork feels like a blow to your performance. That causes gas, diarrhea and other complications to appear. Not only are they annoying, but they affect in a very clear way all the rest of the functions that take place in our body. Ultimately, we are what we eat, which includes the way we assimilate food.

8. Cardiovascular problems

This problem is related to poor anxiety management, which becomes chronic, and to poor diet and exercise habits that result from a lack of time to exercise and eat healthy. Hypertension is the red flag.