As a writer, it can be easy to fall victim to your own work ethic and become swamped with a high workload. This can be an overwhelming ordeal, and so writers need to know how they can reduce their workload and how they can effectively manage their workload.
Rebalance Your Workload
If you find yourself in a position where you can’t keep up with your workload, and this is a consistent experience for you, then you should consider rebalancing your workload. Doing this will vary depending on how you are employed. For example, if you work for a company, and have someone managing you, then you need to talk to them, explain the difficulties you are having regarding your workload, and ask them to readjust it for you.
Often management will not realize if you are swamped, and if you continue suffering in silence, they will assume that all is okay. If some of your workloads get reassigned then you will be able to focus properly on your writing, without the niggling bit of stress in the back of your mind.
If you are a freelancer it can be tempting to take on as much work as possible, but often this can lead to burnout and poor quality of work. Consequently, this will lead to the possibility of redoing work and disappointing clients. So try to create a structure for yourself to follow, a routine that will not allow you to take on more than you can handle. A balanced workload makes for a happy writer!
It Is Okay To Say No
This is very important to remember. Too often people feel like they can’t say no, so they accept project after project, responsibility after responsibility, until one day they crack. As a society, we have this tendency to fear the word no as if it will bring us shame and disappoint others. The reality is, that no one will really care if you say no, because honesty and clear communication is essential in the working world.
Once you say the dreaded word once or twice, the feelings of anxiety around the word will gradually just go away. It loses its power the more we say it. If you do not have the capacity to take on anymore, that is okay.
Be Realistic
The bottom line is that it is important to know your limits as a writer. Set yourself and your clients’ realistic expectations as to what you can do. It is far better to be able to hand in one piece of work that has had your full attention, as opposed to five pieces that were rushed and poorly written because you were not able to concentrate.
It’s natural to want to exceed expectations and work hard to impress your clients and make more money, but it’s a fine line to walk, and you can easily fall into the trap of producing a poor quality of work and burning out.
Be realistic to yourself and understand that we all have limitations as to how much work we can do!
Tips For Improving Productivity
Improving your productivity will make you feel as though your workload has decreased! As a result of this, you’ll feel more in control of your workload, even if it remains the same.
- Use a clipboard manager such as ClipClip
- Prepare a to-do list every night for the following morning
- Have realistic to-do lists!
- Stop aimlessly scrolling through your phone
- Take regular screen breaks, whether that’s to get up for some exercise or even to just go to the bathroom.
- Work in a clean space. A cluttered desk leads to a cluttered mind!
- Set routines
The Pomodoro Technique
Chunking is another method that writers use to improve their productivity. One well-known method of chunking is the Pomodoro Technique! It is a time managing method that breaks up your working day into twenty-five minute periods of working followed by five minutes of a break. After doing this around four times, you then are rewarded with a longer break of fifteen to twenty minutes.
This method works because our brains need breaks, and our attention spans cannot last over long periods. A lot of people found that they were more productive by working in short bursts of time.
All in all, reducing your workload as a writer does not have to be a stressful ordeal! Whether you are a freelancer or working for somebody else, it is important to set realistic expectations for you. Having a more manageable workload increases your productivity, quality of work, and mental wellbeing.