In many jobs, working long hours is unavoidable. You may have to work overtime, or you may have demanding work that requires you to spend more time than other people. Even if it’s not the norm in your field, sometimes you may have to put in extra hours.
If you work long hours, it is important to balance your work life with your personal life. If you don’t have time for family, friends, or yourself, then you could be headed for burnout.
In this article, you’ll learn how to run a 60-hour workweek without having burnout.
If you hate your job, you’re probably in the wrong job or you have the wrong mindset. Learn the secrets of 10 Secrets Of People Who Love Their Jobs
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/WomanWorkingFromHome3-56da19625f9b5854a9db0078.jpg)
Table of contents
The Importance of Managing A 60-Hour Work week
A lot of people work very hard for their entire lives, and never get rich. They often own the business or have senior jobs in big companies. And yet they are not rich. Why?
A lot of people who are rich now were not always rich. How did they become rich? They worked very hard. For a long time.
What is the difference between these two groups? They started out with different assumptions about how to work:
The first group assumed you should work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. The second assumed that you should work until you were done or until it was time to go home and eat dinner, whichever came first.
The second group may not have had 60 hours work week for their whole lives. But they worked 60 hour weeks when they had to, and they knew that was what it took to make things happen.
You can do a lot in 60 hours if you focus on one thing at a time.
Read also: 15 Best Paying Jobs In Arizona In 2023 | Full Requirements
How to Do 60-Hour Work Weekly Without Burning Out
Hare some tips on how to have a healthy work-life balance:
#1. Avoid doing too many things at once
Do you frequently check your emails while talking on the phone? Do you often try to multitask? In working long hours, multitasking is one of the worst things you can do.
Try to get things done faster while working long hours in the office. It’s not possible to work effectively on two or more tasks at once. In fact, your brain will slow down when you try to handle too many things at once.
Being able to focus on a single thing may decrease the time you spend on that task, and that extra hour can be spent on other important priorities.
#2. Practice self-care
Self-care is anything that makes you feel good and takes care of your mind and body. This can include getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, and exercising regularly. You should also some time for yourself by doing the things that make you happy, whether that means going out with friends or spending time alone in a park.
Practicing self-care is something that is often neglected when we think about our workday. We forget that taking care of ourselves is one of the best ways to make sure that we will not burn out. We need to make sure that we take care of ourselves, even if it means setting a timer on your phone reminding you to eat a snack or drink water.
One of the most important things I have learned is how important it is to listen to your body and mind and make sure that you are taking care of yourself. To maintain a 60-Hour Work Week, you need your body to be sound.
This might mean taking a walk outside, listening to music, or even dancing around your room to get some energy back. The more we can practice self-care and listen to what our bodies and minds need, the better chance we have at not burning out.
Read also: 15 Best Paying Jobs in Publishing in 2023
#3. Set clear boundaries
If you want to prevent burnout from occurring in the first place, then one of the best things you can do is set clear boundaries between your work life and your personal life. Why? Because when there are no boundaries, you end up feeling like a slave to your job and that means burnout is more likely to occur.
Of course, this doesn’t just mean setting boundaries for yourself it also means setting boundaries with others, especially your boss and co-workers.
For example: Let them know what hours you’re available and stick to those hours like glue. If they contact you outside of those hours (unless it’s an emergency), just tell them.
If your job requires you to respond to emails at all hours of the day and night, it is important to set clear boundaries with your employer and colleagues about when they can contact you. Try not to check your phone right before going to bed or first thing in the morning if possible.
#4. Use technology to your advantage
Technology can be an amazing productivity tool. It can also become a major distraction. There are many ways to make your life easier, and technology is one of them. Check out these time-saving apps and tools.
Use a time-tracking app, like Toggl or Harvest, to see where you’re spending your time. Once you know, you can decide if those activities are worth it. Create a list of the websites and apps that waste your time and block them using a browser plugin like StayFocused or LeechBlock.
Set aside certain days of the week to check your email. This way you can focus on getting the important stuff done first, instead of letting your inbox dictate your priorities for the day. Having pop-ups on your mail every time will distract you from your 60-Hour Work Week.
Sign up for a service like Headspace or Calm for guided meditation practices. Meditation has been proven to reduce stress and improve mental clarity, which helps people be more productive in less time.
Automate everything you can. Using a scheduling app such as Calendly can eliminate the back and forth emails that go into setting up a meeting. You need only one email exchange to set up a meeting with someone instead of five. This is also useful if you need to schedule meetings with multiple attendees since it eliminates individual availability check-ins.
To use tech, you need to know about it. Check out: 40 Tech Publications to Read as a Fast Growth Expert
#5. Remember to take breaks
You can’t work all the time. Trust me. Maybe you think you can, but you’re wrong. Everyone needs a break. Even the most passionate entrepreneurs need to take a breather sometimes. So take breaks at regular intervals throughout the week.
Don’t do it all in one day, or even one week. If you spread your work out over 60 hours per week, you’ll be much more productive than if you tried to do it all in 8 hours per day for 7 days straight. Working that many consecutive hours isn’t healthy for anyone, and it will severely wear on your productivity level as well.
So remember to take breaks during your 60 hour work weeks (and during any other time). Take a few minutes every few hours and get up and move around; grab a cup of coffee or tea; do a little bit of exercise and stretch; meditate; listen to music; play with your dog or cat. Do something fun (or relaxing) for a little bit of time each day so that you don’t burn yourself out.
#6. Drink plenty of water
Drinking water has been proven to help improve concentration, mood, and creativity. In fact, your body is 60% water, and it is important to drink enough of it daily in order to keep your organs functioning at their best.
While there is no right amount of water to consume every day, drinking about half of your weight in ounces is certainly a good measure. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, try to drink 90 ounces of water each day. And before you dismiss this as too much work, consider that you can get a good chunk of your daily intake from the food you eat.
You can also make the process much easier by carrying around a reusable water bottle. This way, you’ll never be far from something to drink and will be more conscious about how much water you’re actually consuming throughout the day. Staying hydrated is vital to the goal of 60 hour work week.
Further reading: 10 Most Expensive Water in the World | 2022
#7. Don’t overdo it with junk food
Eating too much junk food can be bad for your health. It also leads to fatigue and lack of focus, which negatively affects your ability to get things done during the day.
When you’re busy, it’s easy to get into junk food habits. And while fast food isn’t great for you, it’s especially bad when you’re stressed and/or sleep-deprived.
While eating junk food may give you a quick burst of energy, it’ll also lead to a crash later on. Instead, try to eat healthy foods (you don’t have to go crazy), such as vegetables, fruits, and lean meats. This will ensure that your body has the nutrients it needs to get through those long workdays.
One way to make sure you’re eating healthy is to have a plan in place. Plan out what you’re going to eat for the day so you don’t make bad choices after a long workday.
Another good idea is to keep healthy snacks on hand, so when you need an extra boost during the day or want something for breakfast as you head out the door, you can grab something healthy instead of stopping at a fast-food restaurant or vending machine.
Conclusion
The key to surviving the 60-hour work week and not burning out is to maintain balance. Whether you’re spending time with your family, friends, or just taking some personal time for yourself, a bit of balance can go a long way. There are plenty of ways you can kindle that balance and make sure you’re focusing on all facets of your life and not just work.
First thing’s first: when you arrive at the office, don’t turn on your laptop or answer your phone. Leave work at work by leaving your devices off until it’s time to get down to business. Use any free time in the office to set up meetings for later in the day or later in the week. This is a dominant strategy if you need to get something off your plate but don’t have time for it right now.
If you’re always busy and feel you never have enough time, it might be because you’re over-scheduling yourself. Try keeping a schedule that blocks out all of your meetings, tasks, events, and daily activities so that you can see where you’re spending too much time, and how much free time you really do have. Using this strategy you can achieve your 60-Hour Work Week.
References
- clockify.me– 60-Hour Work Week
- thefinancialdiet.com– How to manage a 60-Hour Work Week
- businessinsider.com– 60-Hour Work Week
- changewithoutburnout.com– How to survive a 60-Hour Work Week
Recommendations
