I was working on a high-stakes strategic project with a tight deadline. After spending hours on it, I finally decided to take a break.
Later, right before bed, I thought, “I’ll just work on it for 20 more minutes.” That 20 minutes turned into 2 hours!
The next day, I was mentally drained and ended up late to an important meeting because I lost track of time.
This experience showed how the “just one more thing” mindset can seriously impact performance and productivity.
This episode is for you if you’re a relentless list-checker who habitually tries to get one last thing done before bedtime.
I’ll expose the risks of the “one more thing” behavior and how it can be a slippery slope for women leaders.
Find the full transcript and other resources for women leaders at http://www.livingwhileleading.com/57.
Why It’s a Struggle for Women Executives to Switch Off
The ‘one more thing’ mindset is a leadership challenge. While this behavior is not exclusive to women, unique factors make you especially susceptible to falling into this productivity trap.
Let’s dig into the reasons why you’re prone to this behavior.
- The Caretaker Instinct: You often juggle multiple roles—partner, mother, caregiver, and professional. The desire to excel at each can make it hard to switch off at any time of the day, particularly in the evenings.
- High Expectations: Society still holds you to unfair standards, expecting you to be perfect in everything you undertake. This pressure can cause an inner compulsion to set unmanageable expectations about how much you can realistically get done on any given day, disrupting the possibility of a healthy work-life balance.
- Fear of Falling Behind: You may work in an environment where you believe you have to perform twice as hard for the same recognition as your male counterparts. This perception can make it hard to step back and say, “Enough for today.”
The Hidden Costs of Mental Health, Productivity, and Relationships to Professional Women
Now that you understand the drivers of this behavior let’s dig into why it’s detrimental to your well-being.
Mental Health:
First is the cost of your mental health. Whenever you decide to do “just one more thing,” you rob yourself of precious sleep time. In the short term, you’ll notice increased stress levels and irritability.
Over time, this can snowball into chronic stress, anxiety disorders, and, in the worst case, even lead to burnout. You’re practically putting your body in a fight-or-flight mode because you’re not getting the rest you need to recharge.
Reduced Productivity:
Ironically, you believe you’re achieving more by working late. In reality, it’s a classic case of diminishing returns. You’re sacrificing sleep, a fundamental cognitive function and decision-making pillar, for more work time.
However, the quality of work done during these extra hours could be less than satisfactory since your cognitive skills are compromised. The next day, you’ll find yourself with brain fog, slower reaction times, and, yes, prone to even more mistakes.
By trying to do more, you could be doing less!
Strained Relationships:
Lastly, the repercussions of this habit spill over into your personal life. If you continually push the envelope on your tasks, you take time away from the people who matter most.
Whether it’s a significant other waiting for a shared bedtime or kids who want to tell you about their day, your continual state of ‘doing’ robs you of the magic of ‘being.’
Over time, this leads to emotional disconnect, feelings of isolation, and strained relationships.
Practical Tips Every Woman Leader Can Use to Transition into a Restful Evening
It’s essential to understand that all these drivers are interconnected. The state of your mental health affects your productivity, which in turn strains your relationships and creates a vicious cycle that’s hard to break.
I suggest you step back and consider a healthier approach to winding down your days.
- Set boundaries: Allocate specific work hours, even in the evening, if necessary, and stick to them. Respect the schedule you designed and shut down your work devices according to plan. I strongly urge you to move them out of your view so you don’t get tempted to recheck them.
- Wind-down rituals: Create a relaxing bedtime routine that tells your body it’s time to rest.
This could be a warm bath, reading a light book—not industry news—or drinking herbal tea. Did you notice that none of these include using technology? - Mindfulness practice: Identify a mindfulness practice that suits you. Sometimes, your mind needs permission to stop running. Mindfulness can help you focus on the present, making it easier to resist the lure of doing more.
I admire your drive to accomplish everything, but don’t lose yourself or compromise your well-being. The best way to prepare for tomorrow is to be your best self today.
A surefire way to do that is to make sleep a non-negotiable appointment in your calendar. Allow yourself to wind down gracefully after a busy day and give your mind and body the rest they deserve.
Remember, you’re the solution to claiming what’s important to you!
