Why We Overwork Ourselves and How I Learned to Stop

Ashley Broadwater
Live Your Life On Purpose
6 min readJul 28, 2020

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Realizing I’m an Overworker

It’s the afternoon, and I’ve been writing for hours straight. I’ve written multiple stories, checked emails, researched and more. Despite all I’ve done and some positive feelings about it, I still can’t stop asking myself the question:

Did I do enough?

The more I think, the more I worry. I think about how I’m not making much money, yet what I’m having to pay for is increasing. I think about the hours still left in the business day, and how I got a late start that morning. I think about more articles I want to write and that I think I can push myself through.

But I also think about how stressed and tired I am, and how these worries seem a little excessive, especially given my hard work. Deep down, I know I need a break and to be a better boss to myself. I consider engaging in other activities that will help me feel productive and relaxed at the same time.

No matter what lies I tell myself, however, the bottom line is this: I’m overworking myself, and I need to stop.

You don’t have to work 90 hours a week or on weekends to be pushing yourself too hard. We can all handle different amounts of work given the type of work, our mental health, our situation and many other factors. In…

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Ashley Broadwater
Live Your Life On Purpose

Freelance writer on multiple platforms. On Medium: writing tips + relationships. UNC-CH Journalism + Media. Newsletter + more: www.linktr.ee/ashleybroadwater