Excessive job search for specific causes

Expert gives tips for dealing with unpleasant situations in the job
Difficult projects, tight schedules or countless overtime hours: There are many reasons why workers suddenly feel overwhelmed in their job and do not know what to do next. In this case, those affected should not, however, put their heads in the sand, but face the situation and deal with the triggers of the crisis.

Is the time frame too tight??
Who does not know this: A new job or a new project can cause stress, tension and insecurity - at least until a first overview and thus some relaxation is possible. But often there is a lot of overwork, so that the employee is constantly under pressure and feels that everything is too much.

Overwork in the job and the associated stress can endanger the health. (Image: Kaspars Grinvalds / fotolia.com)

"Then they have to go to root cause research," advises career adviser Thorsten Knobbe in an interview with the news agency "dpa". It is conceivable, for example, that the time frame was calculated incorrectly and therefore the tasks are simply not feasible. If a team organizes on its own responsibility, a team meeting can help. Those affected should "address that it is not so, tasks may need to be redistributed," advises Knobbe.

Only when permanently high workload go to the boss
On the other hand, if the planning is carried out by a supervisor, the problem should be discussed directly with the supervisor. However, only if the high workload persists longer, because it should be considered that these can change in the different phases of work. Accordingly, workers should "not go to the boss after a week, but look how the situation is developing," says Knobbe.

Likewise, a conversation with the boss is important if part-time workers continue to be scheduled for more hours than their job foresees. "That happens quite often that someone must then cheerfully do the same work as before." If you feel overwhelmed, you should ask yourself whether the current activity is (still) the right one. If so, it might help to ask the supervisor for further training to expand their own skills and thus be better able to cope with the requirements in the future.

Do not wait too long with the direct conversation
In principle, however, according to the career counselor, workers should make sure that the excessive demands are not borne by the work. Instead, early "pulled the ripcord" and talked to colleagues or superiors. Because "when mistakes creep in, which may even be noticed by others, it is too late," warns Knobbe.

In order to counteract the burden of permanent negative stress, exercises for stress reduction can also provide fast and effective support. Yoga, autogenic training or Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation are ideal for coping with stress and balancing it. An important step, since tension, pressure and overstrain persist permanently, increases the risk of serious health consequences such as gastrointestinal problems, heart disease or a complete exhaustion ("burn-out"). (No)