Are you feeling overworked and underpaid?

If you are feeling overworked, underpaid and underappreciated, you certainly have plenty of company. The past few years have shown a marked increase in downsizing by all kinds of employers, from the smallest mom and pop operations to the largest multinational corporations. This drive to do more with less has left the people who remain with their employers feeling increasingly overworked, and unsure of what to do to improve the situation.

One way to deal with the feeling of being overworked is to work smarter instead of harder. We have all heard the famous phrase “work smarter not harder”, but few people have taken the time to understand what this phrase really means. If your employer needs to do more with less, in order to remain employed you will have to do more with less as well. While it may not seem fair, and probably is not fair, to be asked to do the work of two, three or even four people for the same amount of money, that unfortunately is the world we find ourselves in today.

Another way to deal with being overworked, of course, is to ask for a raise, but it is important to proceed cautiously when taking this approach. Before you ask for a raise, it is important to make a detailed list of your accomplishments, especially those projects that have helped to save the company money. Your chances of getting the raise you need and want will be enhanced if you can show the company real savings you have created. If you can show your boss how you have saved him or her money, he or she may be willing to share some of those cost savings in the form of a raise. Simply being overworked will not be enough to convince your employer you deserve more money.

If these plans to address the problem of being overworked do not work out, you may want to consider striking out on your own and opening your own business. Before doing so, however, it is important to realize that being your own boss will definitely not relieve those feelings of being overworked. You have probably heard that entrepreneurs put in much longer hours than their nine to five counterparts and this is certainly true of most business owners.

The great thing about running your own business, however, is those long hours are in the service of a goal you can see, and a goal in which you enjoy the rewards. Instead of being overworked and underpaid for an unappreciative outside employer, when you own your own business you are squarely in charge of your financial future. Therefore, even if you remain overworked, you may find yourself less stressed, and more amply rewarded for your efforts.

Whether your feelings of being overworked stem from an unappreciative employer, general feelings of stress, personal problems or financial issues, it is important to address them. Doing whatever it takes to avoid feeling overworked is important, whether that means finding a new job, becoming your own boss, or working smarter at your current job.