Joy Journal
Every Friday, you can receive the Joy Journal, which will give you information, inspiration and tips that you can use in your pursuit for joy.
Curb the Urge to Overwork
A Trap, Not a Solution

This is a trap. Just doing more—and more and more and more—rarely fixes the actual problems and contributes to ever-increasing stress levels. Additionally, productivity greatly declines after working 50 hours in a week and is basically non-existent once you hit 55 hours. Instead, think about what issues might be leading to extended hours, especially if chronic.
Overwork can be a sign of:
- Too much work because of lack of resources, e.g. an additional team member
- Deadlines that don’t allow for adequate time to complete the necessary work
- A culture that allows 24/7, always-on pressure and promotes burnout
Adding more hours to your week is even more detrimental when you lack control over your work, dislike it or don’t have the skills to do it well.
I understand that there are times when we may have busy periods. My urgent request is to be aware when it is happening, explore to see if there are other deeper problems that need solving, and avoid it becoming a chronic situation.
Past Journals
How would you answer these 3 questions?
A self-reflection moment
I scream…You scream
Let it rip!
Try this productivity hack…
And you get a reward
Burnout Bias
The stigma has an impact
Do more than treat the symptoms
Fix the root cause
Stop making it about “Where”
Focus on giving more autonomy
Wash, Rinse, Repeat
The joy-sucking nature of monotony.
