4 More Ways to Reduce Work Overload

4 More Ways to Reduce Work Overload Yesterday, I talked aboutthe unfortunate state ofprofessional life for many workers today. The majority of Americans are putting in 47 hours a week or more, which has led to poor work-life balance and increasing levels of burnout for many.To help workers combat this state of affairs, I offered four tips that can go a long way in helping you lightenyourworkload. In case those tips dont do the trick for some of you, Id like to offer four more pieces of advice today1. DelegateOften, we end upoverloaded at work because we arent delegating enough. The thing is, as more and more tasks pile up on our desks, its very likely that we have teammates who are ready, willing, and able to step in and help out.Sometimes, people dont delegate because they are afraid to do so. They fear that the people to whom they delegate their work wont deliver the same quality of results that they themselves would.If that sounds like you, you sho uld know that experts recommend delegating tasks to people who can perform them at least 70 percent as well as you can. Through practice, these people will eventually be able to perform at 100 percent of your level and youll never have to worry about delegating to them again. Youll know they can do good work.Another barrier to delegation can be the fear that, if other people can do your work, your company wont need you anymore. Its kind of ironic, actually If you overload yourself because youre worried about being made redundant, youll be reducing your own efficiency and level of wertmiger zuwachs.Thats more likely to get you fired than good delegating skills are.2. Speakto Your BossApproaching your boss for help can feel like an admission of failure but if you do it right, it can actually be a sign of personal effectiveness. The key is to come up with some possible solutions before talking to your boss about your overloaded work schedule. Possibilities include- access to extra re sources like an intern, temp,or freelancer- passing some work to a willing and able colleague- extending the deadline on certain projects- or being able to work from home in order to focus more on particular projects.Explain to your boss that you are overloaded and that its affecting your productivity. Tell them youd like to find a way to bring your workload to a manageable level.Ask your boss if they would like to hear your suggested solutions. At this point, the two of you should be able to start a collaborative brainstorming session aimed at resolving the issue.3.Take Better Care of YourselfInterestingly enough, making simple improvements to your health and well-being could increase your productivity and reduce your sense of overload.For example, exercising before work or during work has been shown to increase your mental performance and levels of energy. Its also important to get enough sleepa study of 21,000 workers found that those who get six hours of sleep a night or lessare not asproductive as their well-rested colleagues are.And, finally, research showsthat unhealthy eating islinked to decreases in productivity. If you are skipping meals and feasting on junk food, its likely that youremaking yourself less productive.4. Work SmarterIf youre an overloaded worker, theres a good chance that your hectic schedule has left you with no time to evaluate your methods and processes. Thats a shame, because taking some time to assess your workflows can help you find smarter, more effective ways to work. For example, you might find that you can automate a task youve been doing manually, thereby freeing up more time in your schedule and lightening your overall burden.By taking the right steps and committing to a plan ofaction, it is possible toface yourwork overload head-on and come out on top, with a renewed sense offulfillment and a much better work-life balance.