Having a hard week at work isn’t uncommon. Sometimes things are going on in your life that impact your performance - it’s totally normal to lose focus during hard times. However, if your hard week seems to have come out of nowhere, it’s going to take a little more investigation. You could be going through an unknown health issue, or you might be dealing with too much while on the clock. Let’s examine these ideas below.
Too Large a Workload
It’s the most likely cause of a bad day and/or week at work. When you’ve got so much to do that you run out of time, something has got to give! And often that’s your own mental state; burnout is easy when you have to take a lot and never get anything back.
So make a point of this with your boss. You’re doing too much, you might even be completing tasks that you aren’t contractually obligated to do! You deserve a break and/or support when you’re at work and making your case is the most productive way to get the ball rolling.
Social Anxiety
Starting to find it hard to interact with clients, customers, and your co-workers face to face? Feel a sense of overwhelming nervousness when getting ready for work, enough to even make you feel physically sick? Maybe you find it hard to sleep because you’re afraid of visiting the office the next day? It could be social anxiety.
Something specific is likely to trigger this, like a bad experience within talking to someone in the workplace, or being severely reprimanded for a mistake. If this has occurred to you, book yourself in to talk to a therapist, and start using some anxiety busting techniques.
A Pain Disorder
Are you in pain right now? Is it pain that’s either come on suddenly, or has gotten worse over the past couple weeks? Then it could be a result of a pain disorder that hasn’t been diagnosed yet, or an issue with your joints, bones, or muscles. It’s best here to take a couple days off, book an appointment with a chiropractor and get their advice, or simply ask your primary care doctor about your symptoms.
Difficult Colleagues
Difficult colleagues can make the work day so much harder than it needs to be - we all know that! But if someone in your workspace has suddenly become the most obtrusive and unproductive person to work with, it’s time to have a word. If they’re not responsive to this, take it all the way to HR. Effective work is being hampered by their conduct, and you’re starting to feel the physical effects of it as well. You have the right to work peacefully when you’re on the clock, so try to make a change for the better.
If you’re having a hard week at work, it probably isn’t your fault! Talk about the issue, see a doctor, and take some time off if you need it.