I came across Katherine May’s new blog post at 2 am on a Sunday trying to finish up work. As my life is more irony than substance these days I think it’s worth putting up.

It’s an important call to action. How do we make our work more sustainable? There are a couple of points in there for me

• How do I automate manual tasks
• How do I delegate with the goal of improving the work outcomes and career growth of others
• How do I set up cross collaborations to distribute the load and remove bottle necks
• How do we upskill for self-service and empowerment

Sustainability of work is easier to handle (and harder to refute) if it becomes about raising others up. Whilst I might be “essential” if I’m the sole knowledge holder I am also limiting my ability to take leave, adding risk to the risk matrix, and stopping others from understanding my needs. And sharing information can lead to great collaborations.

So perhaps there is something in that. Collaboration and advocacy can be used to create a healthy work structure.

One last thing though is the Black Dog Institutes self-care template. It’s a guide more than a prescribed set of marketing fluff, so common with these themes. You set the tasks that work for you at a rate you can take on. Well worth a look.

How to use self-care planning to improve your emotional wellbeing, even when you don’t think you need it