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You’ve already heard of work burnout. It’s not a myth; it’s realer than you can imagine. And it’s something that should not be taken lightly. Working hard is good, but not at the expense of your personal and mental health. So when should you take a quick break from work? Here are some signs to watch out for.
When you forget to eat or take care of yourself, in general.
Missing lunch because you have a deadline to catch or a person to get a hold of might seem harmless… unless, of course, it becomes a habit and your health plummets. It’s important to think of yourself first. Yes, that might sound selfish, but we all know that we can’t really take care of anything — your job, your loved ones, anything — if you’re not healthy and in tip-top shape (physically, emotionally and mentally).
So don’t forget to eat, not just because food fuels the mind but also because you need time to nourish your body and soul.
When you can’t sleep because of stress.
Getting enough sleep is as important as feeding your body. Not to scare you or anything, but you’ve probably already heard of people who were overworked and had only a few hours of sleep each night for a long period of time. And, well, you know what happened? Let’s just say things didn’t end well.
Sleeping is meant to re-energize you and give your body the rest it needs in order to be able to function as best as it could. If you can’t sleep, well, you can’t perform well.
When you’re already getting sick.
Now, this one’s already major. When you can’t eat and sleep properly, your immune system goes down and you get sick. I think there’s not a job out there that’s worth having your health compromised for. It’s one thing to be passionate about something but it’s totally another thing to let your job take precedence over everything else in your life.
When you find it hard to get up in the morning.
So maybe you can still get sleep. That’s good. But you feel like there’s nothing exciting to get up for in the morning. Well, that’s not inspiring. There are other factors that can cause this, of course, but if you know that the stress that comes with work is what makes this happen to you, it’s time to hit the brakes.
When the thought of another work day makes you sad.
You’re supposed to be happy at the thought of getting to work, or at least not dread it. I know it sounds like a privileged thing to be happy in the job you have but it is a reality for many people. But sometimes, realities get skewed or go in a different direction. If you happen to find yourself sulking at the thought of or dreading going to work, maybe it’s time to leave it for a bit and reassess everything. You may just need some time off.
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