One of Many

Woman looking to create change

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When the work never stops…

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Joanna Martin
Joanna Martin
Founder at One of many
Founder: One of many. Author. Ex-doctor. Entrepreneur. Sister. Sometime Actor. Baby Wrangler. Personal Chef. Mother.
Joanna Martin
Latest posts by Joanna Martin (see all)

A few years ago, a survey by CareerBurner revealed that between 25% and 50% of people reported feeling overwhelmed at work. Are you one of them? If you’ve found yourself feeling frustrated and exhausted – like the work never stops – here’s an approach that might help.

We are working more hours than ever but we are also juggling our tasks like never before. Technology has blurred all the stopping points and finish lines. Thanks to our digital devices, wherever we go our work follows.

If you’re anything like me you’ve checked your inbox while on a conference call, you’ve sent an email from the playground, you’ve eaten lunch at your desk. The work never stops – but that's how we create results. Right?

Does working harder create better results?

If you grew up being told that working hard is the way to get ahead – and work in an industry where leadership equates to long hours – this might seem like a strange question. The idea that pushing through limits and working MORE is the key to having a bigger impact is deeply ingrained in our culture.

But while it might feel like working all hours will lead to bigger rewards, that’s not necessarily the case.

If you are partially engaged in multiple activities you’re rarely fully engaged in one.

And when you switch away from your task to do something else, you’re increasing the overall time it takes to do that task by an average of 25%.

Most importantly for us as women, if we’re always doing something, we’re relentlessly burning down our available energy over the course of every day, so we have less available with every passing hour.

How to escape the treadmill when the work never stops

The trap many of us fall into is this: We see the necessity of taking breaks and regular replenishment from work, we just tell ourselves we’ll do it "when the work is finished".

Can you see the paradox in this?

You’re definitely going to leave the office on time… you just need to respond to these emails.

You’ll have a proper weekend off without checking in to the office… as soon as this busy period is over.

It’s really important to allow yourself time to think creatively about the future… so long as your team have everything they need to keep moving on the current priorities.

The truth is, there will always be more emails to respond to. For most of us, the modern world is so fast-paced that “busy periods” are the new normal. And if you’re always the one your team turn to for answers, you’ll never feel comfortable stepping away to get a fresh perspective.

Here are 3 ways to change your approach.

  1. Do the most important things first in the morning, without interruption, for 60 to 90 minutes, with a clear start and stop time. Resist every impulse to distraction, knowing that you have a designated stopping point.
  2. Establish regular, scheduled times to think more long term, creatively, or strategically. During this time ignore everything immediate and urgent.
  3. Take real and regular breaks. Whether that is an hour in the middle of a “work day” or a week long holiday. Real means that when you’re off, you’re truly disconnecting from work. The research strongly suggests that you’ll be far healthier and more productive overall.

A single principle lies at the heart of all these suggestions.

When you’re engaged at work, fully engage, for defined periods of time.

When you’re renewing, truly renew. Stop living your life somewhere between the two.

How about you?

How’s your work/life balance? Do you have some wisdom to share? Leave your ideas in the comments…

Our intention is simple. To support professional women to handle the day-to-day so they can unleash the bigger impact they feel called to make in the world.

We believe real leadership is less about skill, and more about having a well of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual strength to draw on. Every week we support thousands of grassroots leaders globally with our free articles, videos and online trainings with powerful tools and methodologies created BY women FOR women.

Become One of many™ women creating strong, meaningful connections in our community.

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7 Gentle Ways to Get Healthy

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Joanna Martin
Joanna Martin
Founder at One of many
Founder: One of many. Author. Ex-doctor. Entrepreneur. Sister. Sometime Actor. Baby Wrangler. Personal Chef. Mother.
Joanna Martin
Latest posts by Joanna Martin (see all)

How do you know it’s time to make some changes when it comes to your health? Maybe it’s twisting round to reach for something and realising your neck can barely turn. It could be trying on your favourite pair of jeans and finding you can’t tug them past your ankles. Or realising your morning coffee’s become two… or even three… and STILL you feel as though you can’t find the energy to keep going. If you’ve experienced any of these, and you’re about to launch into full on guilt mode, stop! I want to share some gentle ways to get healthy that are kinder all round.

When we want to make a change, many of us follow the classic New Year’s Resolution trap: We set wildly unrealistic goals, based on how we DON’T want to feel, and then ditch them soon afterwards when we find we just can’t keep them up.

To make change stick, I invite you to take the opposite approach.

Start by thinking about how you DO want to feel (we call this “towards” motivation.)

“I want to have more energy so I can rough and tumble with my kids after work.”

“I want to feel stronger and fitter, so I can enjoy my body.”

“I want to know I’m taking great care of myself.”

And then, begin with some tiny, achievable steps to start moving towards that juicy intention. That way, you’ll build up some “quick wins” and motivate yourself to gradually increase your actions if that feels good.

So if you find yourself despairing over how to fit a gym session, a week’s worth of meal prep or a full body check up into your life, these simple tips might be the best place to start. 

What’s more, often the changes that have the biggest impact are the small ones we’re able to actually implement consistently.

Think about it – what will make a bigger difference to your health long term? An annual health retreat where you drink juice and do yoga for 7 days? Or a 365 day commitment to drinking enough water?

That’s right, I reckon being gentle with our choices might just give us the edge in the long term. Here are my favourite low-impact ways to feel better.

Add yours in the comments!

7 gentle ways to get healthy

  1. Drink more water

    The easiest way to make the biggest impact. Water affects all our major organs, our digestion, our energy levels, our brain function and much more besides. Have a glass of water every time you think about it, every time you pass the tap, every time you sit down.

  2. Walk faster

    When you are walking outside think about the length of your stride and try to increase your pace. Use your arms. The idea is to get your heart rate up so a little breathlessness is a good thing. Plus you will get where you are going quicker.

  3. Stretch

    The majority of muscle injuries occur when the muscles are not properly warmed up.  A sudden movement causes the cold muscle to over-extend so the surrounding muscles tense painfully in an effort to protect it. Avoid this by regularly stretching. It only takes seconds. Reach for the sky when you feel stiff, reach for your toes while the kettle boils, lunge.

  4. Breathe in

    Not only will tensing your stomach muscles correct your bad posture and solve your back pain problems it will also strengthen your core stability. If we all walked around balancing books on our heads we’d have abs like Madonna by now.

  5. Try Thai Massage

    Or as it is sometimes called ‘Yoga for Lazy People’. Someone else does all the bending and stretching for you and you get the best massage you will ever have. If there is a particular stretch that feels good, ask your therapist to demonstrate it slowly so that you can recreate the action at home.

  6. Run up the stairs

    Lists like this usually say things like “get off the bus a stop early” or “take the stairs instead of taking the lift” as if we have all the time in the world to get places. Usually, let’s face it, I’m late. But why not make a habit of running up the stairs at home? Take them two at a time if you must. If you’re anything like me you go up and down the stairs about twenty times in any given day. Buns of steel in no time.

  7. See snacks as an opportunity to be virtuous

    My husband and I have a deal that we must never turn down fruit. Eat healthy snacks not because you need a bite before supper but because they are good for you. A few cherry tomatoes is a boost of lycopene, a banana is a shot of potassium, a handful of sunflower seeds is a supplement of Vitamin E. Luxuriate in the virtue for a while. Then have a biscuit.

What are your most gentle ways to get healthy?

Do you prefer to focus on what goes into your body, or how you move it? How important is a healthy body to your mood, energy and effectiveness?

Is it just One of many things you work hard at? Or are gentle ways to get healthy more your style?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Our intention is simple. To support professional women to handle the day-to-day so they can unleash the bigger impact they feel called to make in the world.

We believe real leadership is less about skill, and more about having a well of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual strength to draw on. Every week we support thousands of grassroots leaders globally with our free articles, videos and online trainings with powerful tools and methodologies created BY women FOR women.

Become One of many™ women creating strong, meaningful connections in our community.