1317: How to Tell Your Boss You Are Overwhelmed by Lisa Jeffs on Work Productivity & Workplace Happiness

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Work Daily, Episode 1317. How to tell your boss you are overwhelmed

[00:00:06] by Lisa Jeffs of LisaJefs.com. And I'm Dan, I'm your host of the show and today we're going to talk about

[00:00:13] something that could be a little bit tricky and that's admitting to your boss when your plate

[00:00:17] is just too full because that's not good for you and we're going to hear why from Lisa

[00:00:21] Jeffs. So let's get to it now as we optimize your life. How to tell your boss you are

[00:00:30] overwhelmed by LisaJefs of LisaJefs.com. There are many reasons someone may feel

[00:00:37] overwhelmed in the workplace. Sometimes the weight of our workload gets to be too much

[00:00:41] or external factors such as family concerns or personal health play a part in our mental load.

[00:00:47] Often when feeling overwhelmed we believe that there's nothing that can be done about it

[00:00:51] and we feel as if we simply need to keep moving forward. Though these feelings are

[00:00:56] normal it's not a good idea to hold in your feelings of being overwhelmed. In order to be

[00:01:00] successful and productive both at work and at home you need to manage your mental load and

[00:01:05] stress levels. Having support in the workplace is a great way to stay on top of your mental load

[00:01:11] and reduce feelings of overwhelm. Having the support of your boss is critical for keeping

[00:01:15] your workload and workplace stress in check but how do you tell your boss you're overwhelmed?

[00:01:21] Doing so can be intimidating. In this article we will address why you should and how to tell

[00:01:27] your boss you are feeling overwhelmed. Why you should. Being overwhelmed at work isn't good for

[00:01:33] you and it isn't good for your workplace either. Whether your feelings of overwhelm come from your

[00:01:37] personal life or workplace stressors there's no doubt that it can affect the quality of your

[00:01:42] work. Getting support can help you to better manage your workload and find balance between

[00:01:46] external stressors and work life. By telling your boss how you're feeling you open the lines of

[00:01:52] communication. Not only do you make your feelings heard but you also allow for your needs to be met.

[00:01:57] Your boss can't be solely responsible for managing your workload and if you don't share

[00:02:01] your feelings they won't know what factors could be affecting your work. Allowing your boss

[00:02:06] the opportunity to help you overcome your feelings of overwhelm is good for both you

[00:02:10] and them. When you are feeling good about your work and work-life balance you are more likely

[00:02:15] to be more productive and less likely to be worn down with stress. This can lead to fewer sick days,

[00:02:20] more creativity and a general sense of happiness in the workplace. Though it can be uncomfortable

[00:02:26] you should try to be open and honest with your boss and always let them know when your workload

[00:02:30] feels like too much. When should you tell? If you're asking yourself this question then

[00:02:36] you likely already know that the answer is sooner rather than later. You should tell your boss

[00:02:41] that you're feeling overwhelmed as the feeling arises. Though this is the best case scenario

[00:02:46] it isn't always possible. Sometimes you won't be able to tell your boss until your level of

[00:02:50] overwhelm is at a crisis level. Try to become self-aware and identify what happens when you

[00:02:56] begin to feel overwhelmed. If you can catch it early your boss will likely be able to

[00:03:00] accommodate you in order to quickly and effectively reduce your overwhelm. Don't wait

[00:03:05] until a day before a deadline to let your boss know the task is too much. Allow yourself

[00:03:10] to ask for help when you need it, not when it becomes a problem for everyone around you too.

[00:03:15] How to tell your boss you are overwhelmed? 1. Have a plan. Consider writing down what you need

[00:03:22] to say before speaking with your boss. Use this list when speaking so that you ensure

[00:03:26] you don't forget to say something important. 2. Consider involving human resources.

[00:03:33] You know your workplace best. Sometimes it's a good idea to obtain the support of your HR

[00:03:37] department to help mediate the conversation. 3. Don't make excuses. You do not have to make

[00:03:43] excuses for how you feel. What you are going through is valid. It's okay to be overwhelmed

[00:03:49] and it's good to get support to help overcome it. And 4. Get support. Look to outside support

[00:03:56] to help you with your feelings. Talk to your support system both before and after talking

[00:04:00] to your boss. They may be able to offer suggestions for lessening your load or help

[00:04:05] you work through what to say. What if my boss isn't supportive? In the best case scenario,

[00:04:11] your boss will be understanding, helpful and supportive. But not every work environment

[00:04:16] will be like this. If you tell your boss you're overwhelmed and need help and they give you a

[00:04:20] tough luck response, it can be emotionally challenging. There are a few things you

[00:04:25] can do to move forward if your boss won't help you. 1. Develop healthy coping strategies.

[00:04:32] If your boss won't help you, you'll need to develop strategies for coping with the overwhelm

[00:04:36] of your work life. Consider taking time for yourself outside of work to recharge by doing

[00:04:41] things you love or by spending time with your support network. 2. Ask for help with home life.

[00:04:48] Find ways to minimize your stress at home if you can't change your work situation.

[00:04:52] Hire someone to help you clean. Ask for help with meal prepping.

[00:04:56] Offload anything you can to other members of the household when possible.

[00:05:00] And 3. Consider finding new employment. If your work environment is toxic and there's no end to

[00:05:06] overwhelm in sight, you may want to consider a new employer. You don't have to work in a

[00:05:11] stressful environment if it makes you unhappy. Your feelings matter. It is easy to allow

[00:05:17] our feelings of overwhelm to consume us. But if we don't address them and get help

[00:05:22] when we need it, we won't ever work through these feelings. You deserve to be happy in your workplace.

[00:05:27] Your boss can be a great resource in addressing concerns or barriers at work

[00:05:32] that are contributing to your feelings of overwhelm. You just listened to the post titled

[00:05:40] How To Tell Your Boss You Are Overwhelmed by Lisa Jeffs of LisaJefs.com.

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[00:06:45] And thanks to Lisa for letting us share her work today and regularly here on the show.

[00:06:51] Lisa Jeffs is an intuitive life coach and entrepreneur coach from Toronto who serves

[00:06:56] clients all over the globe. Lisa helps entrepreneurs and leaders, visionaries and experts discover

[00:07:02] and live their greatest life's purpose. She's been featured in publications such as Thrive

[00:07:07] Global, Tiny Buddha, YFS Magazine and Awesomeness TV. As I mentioned she lives in Toronto with

[00:07:14] her creative teenager and her rambunctious tortoise. So for more great articles and content from her

[00:07:19] simply check out her website at LisaJeffs.com that's J-E-F-F-S. But that's going to do it for another

[00:07:26] edition of Optimal Work Daily. I do hope you enjoyed the post today and come on back tomorrow

[00:07:31] for some more great content in our Friday show where your optimal life awaits.