Keep Track Of Your Hours

How many hours are too many hours to work?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer for this. A 55-hour work week may be a piece of cake for a young, single person with few obligations, while such a work week may be too much for a working parent with two kids.

If you know that you're going to need to work over 40 hours, be sure to set a limit and stick to it. Those extra hours at work are taking away from personal or family time and you need to decide how much of that you're willing to give up, without it having a negative impact on your life.

It's important to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Understand Why You're Working More Than 40 Hours A Week

Understanding why you have to put in more than 40 hours of week is essential, because in some cases it may be avoidable.

Some people are more than willing to put in the extra hours. They may have financial goals they're trying to achieve and have taken on a second job or side hustle to help. Some workplaces offer overtime hours to employees and employees willingly take these hours for overtime pay. In these cases, employees are making a conscious choice.

But, there are cases where a simple change in work habits could help cut the amount of hours you work.

A manager or executive working well over 40 hours a week may need to consider if they've delegated enough of their daily responsibilities to their management or support team. They may also want to take a look at their daily routine to make sure they're making the best use of their time.

Those in leadership positions typically expect to work over 40 hours a week, but it shouldn't get to an excessive point where it negatively impacts your personal life and health.

Employees in the same boat should also examine their daily routine and time management, to see if they truly need to work over 40 hours. Sometimes there's a lot of work to do and you need to work more than 40 hours, but sometimes bad habits could be expanding your workday. You may find that not all the tasks you are doing are necessary or could be done differently.

Every workplace situation is different. Maybe there are some cases where employers are assigning or expecting too much from employees. Such a situation needs to be handled delicately with management.

You may also be struggling to get your work done in 40 hours because the job isn't the right fit for you or you're not happy at work. At this point, it may be time to consider a career change.

Practice Good Time Management

As mentioned above, poor time management could be the reason why you're working more than 40 hours a week. But, even if it isn't, learning good time management is essential! Especially if you want to work more than 40 hours a week and remain sane.

Some people have schedule planners where they copiously plan their day, hour by hour. That's not a bad strategy. It's a good way to hold yourself accountable and keep track of where you need to be and when. Obviously schedules change, but having a general guide is good practice.

Having such a record of your time is also a good way to go back and review how you allocate your time. This can be particularly helpful if you're ever looking to better manage your day or improve your time management skills.

There are only 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a week, and only you can determine the proper work-life balance for you.