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- Do you work ten or more hours a day?
- Does your job involve heavy traveling?
- Is your job fast-paced with tight deadlines?
- Is your work flow unpredictable?
- Do your responsibilities amount to more than one job?
- Does your job require that you attend work-related events beyond regular work hours?
- Are you expected to be available to your clients 24/7?
- Are you responsible for company profit and loss?
- Are you responsible for mentoring and recruiting?
- Are you expected to produce a large number of direct reports?
If you answered yes to five or more of these questions, my condolences. You're an extreme job holder.1
Why the condolences? Because whether you're feeling it yet or not, extreme jobs holders are on a fast track to burnout unless you recognize it early on and take action to prevent it.
Playing off the concept of "extreme sports" (a term used to describe highly physical or inherently dangerous activities, such as kick boxing and ice climbing), extreme jobs are those in which employees earn high salaries, work at least 60 hours a week, and work in positions characterized by at least five of the ten conditions noted above. Extreme jobs are so labor intensive and demanding that they push the limits of even the highest of the high-achievers. In fact, consultant Sylvia Ann Hewlett calls these jobs "the American dream on steroids."2
Although those who pursue these types of jobs may do it for their own psychological reasons (a reflection of their character, commitment, or stamina; proof of their self-worth, etc.), Hewlett notes that organizational changes, communication technology, globalization, and a society that embraces extremes have propelled extreme jobs from a rarity to something fairly common. In fact, in the U.S., twenty-one percent of high-earners meet the definition for an extreme job holder. In global companies, the figure climbs to forty-five percent.3
Even more surprising is the fact that these jobs are not primarily held by the young and the restless. Both globally and in the U.S., Hewlett's data indicate that over half of extreme jobs are held by people between the ages of forty-five and sixty--a time in life when many envision slowing down to enjoy the fruits of their hard labor. Obviously not the case when you consider that the average work week of an extreme job holder is 72.1 hours.4
Although Hewlett's study found that relatively few women hold extreme jobs, those who do sometimes experience added burdens. Because these women are the exception in a group of exceptions, they may feel extra pressure to take on all the challenges that their extreme jobs offer and not complain about the fast pace, long hours, and performance pressures. And making the burden even more difficult for these women is the fact that unlike men who hold extreme jobs, women are much less likely to have the support of an at-home spouse. According to Hewlett's survey, the number of men who have an at-home spouse is more than double that of women who have this luxury.
But the news isn't all doom and gloom. If this is the track you find yourself on, early recognition and preventative measures can go along way in preventing chronic stress and burnout. Here are a few suggestions to keep your extreme job from wreaking extreme havoc on your health and well-being:5
Don't Ignore the Basics
If you want to thrive and survive long-term in an extreme job, you can't ignore the basics.
Basic #1 You have to sleep.
Basic #2 You have to eat.
Basic #3 You have to drink.
Do you sometimes have to forgo the basics to keep up with what's on your plate? Of course. When you're working 60 or more hours a week, sleeping, eating, and drinking sometime get put on the back burner. The problem is that extreme job holders tend to keep them on the back burner, and you can't do that for long without serious consequences. So sleep as much as possible, don't skip meals, eat healthy, and drink a lot of water. You should notice an improvement once you start incorporating a healthy dose of all three into your daily routine.
Remember When ...
Remember When ...
Busy schedules have an interesting way of making you forget the things that you once found relaxing. In fact, many extreme workers have moved so far away from anything resembling relaxation that they have a hard time remembering what they used to do to relax. So take some time to go back in time and remember those things that you used to find relaxing. Then, find ways to bring those things back into your life, even if it's only in small doses.
Learn to Say No
Most high-achievers take on everything they're asked to do (and more) and do it well. But think about everything you do in a day and ask yourself if that's something you personally need to handle or take on. If the answer is no, then resist the urge to take it on. Just say no.
Exercise
Yeah, right! Who has time for it? You do. Exercise is a great stress reducer, and even if you can't find time for a complete exercise routine, you can still incorporate exercise into your daily routine. For example, get into the habit of taking a brisk ten-minute walk during your lunch hour. Park your car far from your building so you have to walk more. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or get a bit more creative by keeping light-weight dumbbells on your desk or on the passenger seat of your car so that when you're talking on the phone at your desk or stuck in traffic, you can do a quick arm workout. Also, when sitting at your desk, you can try rolling your wrists, ankles, neck, and shoulders or stretching your muscles by turning your torso from side to side. Another good seated exercise is calf raises.
Add Positives, Subtract Negatives
Positive people give you energy. Negative people suck the energy out of you. Bring as many positive people into your life as possible and move out or avoid the energy vampires.
Consider Extreme Stress Relievers
I've just gone through a few "tried and the true" ways to reduce stress. Others that I haven't specifically mentioned include guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing exercises, reframing negative thoughts into positive, meditation, yoga, warm baths, and massage. But if you're into extremes, these traditional stress management strategies may not work for you. And that's perfectly fine. The only person in your life who should be defining what is relaxing to you is you. Your focus should be on finding what works for you, and for some extreme workers, that requires thinking outside of the box.
One idea you may want to consider is taking an "extreme vacation." If you can dream it, someone out there probably offers it. Sand boarding in the Peruvian desert, dog sledding in Alaska, raging rapids, sky diving, cliff diving. Extreme vacations are designed for people who love challenges. So if that's what you enjoy, why not try it out? Other ideas include "extreme" sports, "extreme" hobbies, and "extreme" workouts, or finding new ways to engage your brain unrelated to work.
Just make sure that when you're adding stress relief to your routine that something gets subtracted. In other words, to fit in new, healthy, stress-relieving activities, you almost certainly will need to take something out of your old routine. Better time management can help you find more time, but rarely can it add so much to time to your schedule that you don't have to renegotiate some of your commitments. In the long run though, this will pay off by giving you more longevity in your job (and probably your life) because the more stress relief you give yourself, the less likely you'll be to burnout.
Finally, remember that while there are many ways to reduce stress, the key to effective and lasting stress management is finding what works for you and incorporating it into a routine that works for you and your lifestyle.
© 2011 Sherrie Bourg Carter, All Rights Reserved
Sherrie Bourg Carter is the author of High Octane Women: How Superachievers Can Avoid Burnout (Prometheus Books, 2011).
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1 Sylvia Ann Hewlett, et al., Seduction and Risk: The Emergence of Extreme Jobs (New York: Center for Work-Life Policy, 2007), p. 4.
2 Ibid., p. 3.
3 Ibid., p. 4-5.
4 Ibid., p. 11.
5 The suggestions in this post are taken from High Octane Women: How Superachievers Can Avoid Burnout (2011, Prometheus Books).
