You should never feel guilty for leaving work on time. An occasional early morning or late evening is to be expected – especially if you are working on a special or large project or if your job gets busy at a certain time of the year. What is unacceptable is making overworking the norm. Overextending yourself is hazardous to your health and career. Leaving on time forces you to be disciplined and, in some instances, assertive.
Incorporate these 5 strategies:
Do good work. Just because you put in long hours doesn’t mean that you are doing great work. The quality of your work is more important than surrendering your entire day to your employer. Research shows that the longer you work that your productivity decreases.
Ignore negative peer pressure. If the expectation is that you constantly work beyond normal work hours without additional compensation, it’s time to set new boundaries and expectations. Manage your time so that you get your work completed between normal work hours and don’t allow yourself to be bullied into overworking.
Prioritize your health. You are not a robot. Quality sleep, nutritious food and physical exercise are essential for good physical health. Continually staying at work well beyond regular hours negatively impacts your eating, sleeping, and activity. It can also cause stress, worry, and illness.
Take off the Super Woman cape. If you are constantly staying late because your team is understaffed or your colleagues are slackers or your boss it is piling work onto your plate because she knows that you are a “good worker”, it’s time to stop picking up the slack for others and carrying the company on your shoulders. Let others be responsible, dependable, and accountable for a change.
You deserve a personal life. Your job is not the whole of who you are as a person. Your family, friends, hobbies, and experiences are just as important as your work. In fact, having a healthy life and identity outside of work can make you a better employee. Spending time with the people you love and that love you boosts your energy, confidence, and outlook.
Join me from February 1-14, 2021, for my 14-Day ‘Self-Love Includes Career Advancement’ Challenge on Instagram to increase your career preparation and options. Each day take time to implement a strategy.
Day 8: End Your Workday On Time
If you need help incorporating self-love into your career development plan, a Career Activation Strategy Session is a great resource. With a Career Activation Strategy Session, you receive 60 minutes of uninterrupted time with me to develop strategies to accelerate and strengthen your career. You and I will work together to generate ideas and creative solutions to your employment questions, issues or interests while developing customized strategies to help you reach your next career goal.
Nicki Sanders, MSW, CEO, is a Career and Empowerment Strategist who helps high-performing women of color in management go from overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated to energized, well paid, and appreciated. Through Nicki Sanders Leadership Consulting, she also helps businesses recruit, hire, train, and retain great employees. Nicki has an extensive background in developing and managing successful programs and leading high-functioning multi-disciplinary teams. She is an accomplished professor, coach, trainer, and group facilitator who has combined her gift for authentic relationships, Master of Social Work degree, and over 20 years of diverse work experience to create a life she loves. Nicki is a lover of cupcakes, travel, and 80’s hip hop and R&B music.
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