3 Ways to Be Indispensable at Work Without Burning Out

How can you be indispensable at work and yet avoid job burnout and stress?

โ€œI couldnโ€™t have done this without you.โ€ Those words, when they come out of a managerโ€™s mouth, maybe music to ourย eager-to-pleaseย ears. But a desire to be seen as indispensable at work can come with a downside: In our attempt to go theย extra mileย (or 10), we may be sacrificing our ownย well-being.ย 

It turns out, conscientious, highly dedicated employees are at greater risk of emotional exhaustion and conflict between theirย work and family responsibilities, according to a 2016 study from Kingโ€™s College London and the University of Bath in the U.K. And otherย researchย has found that our drive to impress our boss and colleagues at every turn, borne out ofย hustle culture, comes at the high cost ofย burnout.

So how can you make your markย and add tremendous value without compromising your sanity and well-being?

These 3 tips can help:

1. Pause before you say yes

In a quest to be indispensable, some people bite off more than they can chew. If being a โ€œyes to everythingโ€ person is leading you to the brink of burnout, the first step is to understand whatโ€™s causing your inability to set boundaries around your workload, says clinical psychologistย Michelle Golland, Psy.D.ย 

Could it be, for instance, that youโ€™re aย people-pleaser, and you have a long-held belief that saying no will lead to rejection? Or does it come down to aย need to control, and not trusting your colleagues to do a good job if you let them take the lead?

Once youโ€™re clear with yourself about your motivation, you may be more willing to let things go. Spoiler alert: Having too much on your plate can compromise the quality of your work, and thatโ€™s not a good strategy for winning over your boss โ€”ย or anyone else.

Read Remote Worker Burnout: 5 Key Tips To Create Healthier Remote Cultures

2. Look for the grey areas

Black and white thinking can lead you to take on too much and risk burning out. After all, if โ€œnoโ€ isnโ€™t a realistic option, you might assume your only option is to say โ€œyesโ€. But thereโ€™s usually a grey area or middle ground โ€”ย a way to be aย team playerย and contribute value without doing itย all.

For instance, if a higher-up asks for your involvement on a project and you truly donโ€™t have the bandwidth to take it on, you can still provide support or offer to be a sounding board or a second pair of eyes, Golland suggests.ย 

Read 5 Ways To Create A Work-Life Balance So Your Job Doesnโ€™t Ruin Your Marriage

3. Train yourself to clock out

For an overachiever, there may beย no end to the workday. But regularly letting work spill into your โ€œoff-hoursโ€ can lead to burnout over time. To prevent this, create your schedule so you have a set number of days per week where working late is simply not an option. And to make sure your most important tasks are getting done on these days, divide yourย to-do listย into two columns: โ€œcriticalโ€ and โ€œcan wait.โ€

Then, prioritize accordingly. At Thrive we call this โ€œrelentless prioritizationโ€ and โ€œgetting comfortable with incompletions.โ€ Ultimately, embracing incompletions allows you to leave the office so you can recharge โ€” and bring your indispensable self to work again the next day.


Written by: Mallory Stratton
Originally appeared on: Thrive Global

Indispensable at Work Without Burning Out pin

— Share —

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Up Next

Am I Motivating Myself or Just Pushing Myself?

Motivation Myself or Pushing Myself Redefining

Am I truly motivating myself or just pushing too hard? Andrea asks a reflecting question if itโ€™s inspiration or unrelenting pressure. Let’s find out more about it!

Personal Perspective: The bracelet is inscribed โ€œKeep Going.โ€ Can I?

Motivating Myself Or Pushing Myself?

This bracelet inscribed โ€œKeep Goingโ€ was originally meant to inspire me because last year was a t

Up Next

Things People Learn Too Late In Life: 7 Eye-Opening Life Lessons

Things People Learn Too Late in Life Eye Opening Life Lessons

Life is full of unexpected events and sometimes there are things people learn too late. Though some lessons come with age and experience, as time goes by, we often wish we had known some important truths sooner.

These moments of truth can be very shocking as well as transformative, they help us live authentically, appreciate what truly matters, and make the most of our time. Below are seven crucial life lessons people learn too late and can still change the way they approach life.

7 Things People Learn Too Late In

Up Next

Anger and Emotions: What’s Really Setting Us Off?

Anger and Emotion Whats Really Setting Us Off

Ever wonder whatโ€™s really fueling your anger and emotions? Discover how a mindful approach can help you regain inner peace in your life!

Taking a mindful approach to exploring why we are angry.

Key points

Anger is a secondary emotion.

Anger is a warning sign that lets us know there is an issue to address.

Knowing what we are feeling will help us to address the source of our anger.

Anger can hit us when we least expect it. There are some people who get angry and not know what they are angry about. The

Up Next

How I Hacked My Personality: Steps To Be The Better Version Of Myself

How I Hacked My Personality

Can we truly reshape our personalities for lasting change? Discover Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala’s article “How I hacked my personality” and learn how small shifts in mindset and behavior can lead to meaningful transformation in your life.

A Personal Perspective: Science-backed strategies for intentional trait change.

Key points

Research suggests that personality changes over time.

We can speed up personality change by taking intentional action.

Changes that are reinforced by the environment are easier to maintain.

Up Next

Women Empowerment: The Rebecca Effect in “Ted Lasso”

Rebecca Effect In Ted Lasso Women Empowerment

Can women turn negative experiences into empowerment? Discover the โ€œRebecca Effectโ€ from Ted Lasso and transform your personal trials into powerful self-acceptance!

Personal Perspective: Empowering women to transform shame and betrayal.

Key points

“Ted Lasso” inspired with imperfect, endearing characters whose trials and transformations mirrored our own.

The โ€œRebecca Effectโ€ is the empowerment and transformation possible when we have been oppressed or shamed.

The “Rebecca Effect” is the process through which women embrace themselves in totality.

Up Next

The Healing Power of Emotional Tears

The Healing Power of Emotional Tears

Ever wondered why we shed emotional tears? Tears serve a healing purpose. Explore how it plays an important role for our well-being.

Emotional tears are an expression of our shared humanity.

Emotional tears, expressed by children, teens, and adults, are a universal experience observed across the globe. Emotional tears play a healing role, leading to our emotional and physical well-being. This post explores the value of emotional tears and the importance of presence and support from family and friends during unexpected

Read More Here: โ€œWhy Am I Always On The Verg

Up Next

10 Important Weekly Reflection Questions You Need To Ask Yourself

If you feel stuck and want to keep track of your goals every week, then weekly reflection questions can really help you. Weekly reflection questions can help you check in with yourself and make sure youโ€™re headed in the right direction. These are the questions you need to ask yourself every week to keep growing and moving forward.

Have you ever had a week with so much going on that you end the week feeling overwhelmed and exhausted? I know I have been there. Sometimes, the week goes by so fast that itโ€™s over before I know it, and there is no time left to process it.

A weekly reflection can help evaluate if what you are doing is working. It fosters self-growth. So, pull out that weekly reflection journal and answer the weekly reflection prompts below.