Stop Glorifying Being Overworked

Power through it.

This terrible mantra is one I stuck to for the first ~7 years of my career.

I was sometimes so tired after working a late-night baseball game that I would blast my car's A/C in my face just to stay awake. I’d feel sick (pre-COVID) and come to the office just to show that I was dedicated to the job. I’d burn the candle at both ends to show that I was a Very Good Employee™️.

Guess where it got me?

Burned all the way out.

A few months ago, I was really feeling down and overwhelmed with work, school, a pathetic semblance of a social life and other personal issues.

Former me would have clocked in regardless to show my employees that I was a great role model with an excellent work ethic.

Current me, however? I took a mental health day for my own personal benefit and to lead by example.

The more seasoned I’ve gotten in the industry, the more I have realized that working more hours doesn’t always correlate with better output. I’ve also noticed that people who look up to you are learning from more than just your work. They’re noting your “dedication" or trying to emulate your work ethic after you put up a tweet about how you've overworked yourself "grinding."

It’s an awful precedent to set. So many of us in the sports social media industry promised to help make the field better for those who come after us. However, we cannot fully do that unless we lead by example when it comes to mental health awareness and with a plan of action to fight burnout.

I am still working on stopping the glorification of being overworked. Not only is it unhealthy, but it leads to mistakes, inefficiencies and bad workplace culture.

Let’s vow to stop glorifying double-booked calendars, late nights at the laptop and 5 a.m. wake-up times.

I’m working on it and hope you will, too. For our sake. And for the sake of those who come after us.

Question of the Week: How have you made your mornings more productive? Please send along any good tips for a future newsletter!

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