Empowering Women: A woman will probably say “tired” after a quick “All fine, thanks!” when you ask her how she is. We’re all pretty tired, except for those annoying people you know who always look great and don’t have dark bags under their eyes. So many of us are in a hurry to get things done that we really need to rest. And when you add in all the problems we can have sleeping, the cycle of being tired keeps going.
This has to have an effect on our work. And our tiredness is affected by our work. You can ride another fun bike now.
This gets to women more than anyone else. The exhaustion gap is the overwhelming effect that work (both at the office and at home) exhaustion has on women. It refers to statistics that show women are more likely to experience burnout and stress as they balance the demands of their careers with housework and caregiving duties. Work/life balance is hard to achieve because our long, busy hours leave us with little time or energy to do even the most basic things for ourselves, let alone reach our other goals.
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Charlotte Davies, a job expert on LinkedIn, tells Stylist, “It’s clear that women in the workplace are more burned out and tired than men.” “The last few years have put extra stress on all of us. Flexible work arrangements are meant to help, but our research shows that one in five women still think it’s harder to find a work-life balance now than it was 20 years ago.”
“If we don’t find the right balance, burnout can happen, and our health can really suffer if we don’t notice the signs and deal with them right away.” There should be honest and open talks about the help and support we need when things get too much, and we should know where to find the tools that will help us handle these especially hard times in our lives.
How can we start to deal with the unbalance and our tiredness? Davies gives us five tips.
When you’re having a hard time, be open and honest
“Rather than suffering in silence, it’s much better for you and your employer to let them know when you’re having a hard time,” Davies says. “Having an open and honest conversation with your boss and making a plan together can help you handle your work and stay ahead of the exhaustion gap.”
Get used to telling people “no.”
It’s true that you can’t do everything. When your work load is too much for you to handle, you can’t just keep “pushing through.” You also can’t keep taking on more work because you want to be great at your job and please everyone. You do need to say “no” and “I’m busy” sometimes. I’m sorry!
According to new study commissioned by LinkedIn, nearly half (47%) of women who say it’s harder to keep a good work-life balance now say that a “grind culture” is one of the main reasons for this. There needs to be clear limits between work and personal life so that we can take time to rest and heal.
Find ways to make yourself feel in charge
According to Davies, having the right tools can really help you stay calm and in charge in tough situations. It can also make it easier for you to relax after a long, busy day at work. “You can get off to a good start with LinkedIn Learning courses like Building Resilience or Embracing Unexpected Change.”
You could also try focused meditation or set aside time on your calendar to plan or say affirmations over and over again. Try different things until you find one that helps you feel less stressed about your daily work tasks.
Empowering Women: Take care of yourself first
It can be hard to accept that you can’t do your best work when you’re not at your best. Take care of yourself to be your best. That means making sure you get enough sleep, take breaks, eat healthy food, spend time outside, and take steps to control your stress.
Davies says, “Try to make a promise to do the things that make you feel a little less stressed. It could be as simple as taking a walk around the block at lunchtime.” You’ll be able to give more to your work and home obligations if you take care of yourself.
Empowering Women: Get to the right spot for you
No matter what skills and techniques you use, Davies says, “managing your work-life balance can still be hard if your workplace doesn’t support it.” “If you’ve tried some of these things and are still unhappy, it might be time to start looking elsewhere.” You can use LinkedIn’s Job Search Filter to find companies that care about their workers’ work-life balance.
