Too Much Hustle? 5 Signs You’re Working Too Hard

working too hard signs

Do you live, breath, eat, and sleep your work life? Are you so obsessed with your latest project that your friends are practically begging you to talk about anything else? There’s no such thing as being too passionate or too creative — and we definitely have been known to tout the benefit of working on nights, weekends, and any time in between — but too much hustle can also lead to a major crash.

Working too hard means you’re also risking burn-out, so it’s good to know the signs before you’re forced to seriously tap out.

You don’t have time for your friends.

You know you’re over doing the hustle when you finally make time for your friends and they barely recognize you. As important as it is to foster business relationships, maintaining friendships is equally vital. These are the people who have your back through good times and bad, so keep them close! If that means you need to schedule a weekly lunch, so be it –– but don’t fall into the trap of canceling on your friends in favor of networking on Linkedin. Plus, strong friendships will ultimately benefit your hustle –– you never know when a friend of a friend might recommend you for a project!

You keep up with your family… on social media.

Your family will probably still love you even if you’ve spent the better part of the year ignoring them in favor of your growing business. However, if you find yourself trolling through Facebook to check out pictures of the latest family dinner you missed, it might be time to reassess your priorities. The hustle will always be waiting for you after you’re done arguing with your siblings over who gets to eat the last piece of pizza.

You literally don’t sleep…or eat….

Tinder co-founder Whitney Wolfe recently said that she “thought about Tinder in the shower and dreamed about it at night” –– which is probably why she’s so successful. In order to make your passion happen it has to fully encompass you, but if you’ve reached the point where you aren’t sleeping, it might be time for a little R&R. Take a day off, eat a solid meal, go for a run, and turn on some Netflix. After you’ve given yourself some time to reboot, you’ll hit the hustle that much stronger.

When you DO sleep, you sleep with your iPhone (or your Android, if that’s your thing) stuck to your face.

This is a huge hustle pitfall. There’s nothing more anxiety-producing than obsessively reaching under the pillow to check your iPhone during odd hours of the night, so do yourself a favor and stop this habit before it starts. Sure, you might miss some late night texts if you switch your phone to silent and leave it in the living room, but you’re giving yourself a chance to relax, clear your head, and de-stress. Those texts can definitely wait until working hours!

You view everyone you meet as a possible networking connection.

Networking is key to any successful business, and the fact is, many friendships turn into networking opportunities. However, if you’ve reached the point that you can’t even be introduced to your friend’s mom without forking over a business card, you might be hustling too hard. Instead of forcing every new connection to be a business opportunity, stay cool and let the situation play out naturally. Like friendships, business relationships often evolve naturally, so don’t force them!

 

Mehera Bonner FOLLOW >

Mehera Bonner is a freelance lifestyle and entertainment writer. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and two children.