We’ve all been there before. We’re sitting in the office, the sun has gone down already and your phone is beeping with messages from your partner asking you if you’ll make it in time for dinner. You finally finish up your work and it’s already 8 PM. You head out of the office, walk to the nearest McDonald’s or another fast food chain for a quick and unhealthy dinner before you take the train back home. Deep in your mind, you know this isn’t healthy for you, but that thought of earning a few extra hour’s worth of wages makes it seem like it’s worth it.

Sadly, it’s not.

Overworking yourself is perhaps the most pointless and damaging thing that you could do to yourself, and we’re going to give you clear reasons why you should avoid it at all costs.

Working Overtime Doesn’t Improve Your Chances of Earning a Promotion

Contrary to popular belief, overworking yourself doesn’t help with your chances of earning a promotion. Just because you’re showing that you’re dedicated to your company, it doesn’t mean that you’re automatically going to be put up a few places on the “next to be promoted” list. All it means to your employer is that you’re willing to put in the hours, but it doesn’t say anything about your ability to innovate and try new things at work that could benefit your employer more. If you want a promotion, then you need to show talent, not work endlessly.

Too Much Overtime Can Lead to Further Issues

Working too much overtime can make your employer get comfortable with taking you for granted. They’ll ask for more things such as working off the clock and getting cash-in-hand for special work, and this can get out of control or they can start taking advantage of you. You can view more at Brady & Associates to learn about fair labor standards. It’s important to understand your rights as an employee so that you’re never taken advantage of by your employer. Working overtime is great to earn a bit of extra money, but it can quickly spiral out of control if you’re not careful.

Overworking Yourself Adds Undue Stress and Frustration

As you might expect, working overtime adds a lot of extra stress and frustration. You’re more likely to return home feeling exhausted, you won’t have time to spend with your family and friends and you’re going to be easily agitated because you aren’t able to spend time doing the things you love and enjoy. Working too much is going to quickly burn you out and before you know it, you’re going to hate your job.

There Are Better Ways to Make More Money

Time is money, but if you’re smart, you can make more money for the time you spend. You could put your efforts into an at-home job, you could run a side hustle or you could even spend time learning about investing. There are plenty of ways to be more efficient and you don’t always need to work an endless number of hours just to get your salary.