Quick question. Do you feel like you don't even remember the last time you felt well-rested?
Are you always feeling worn-out and exhausted? If yes, then we have a serious problem on our hands.
You are wearing yourself out and it seems like you could use a break – a sweet refreshing break that refreshes your mind.
The benefits of taking a break are endless. We've made this video to point out all these benefits so you stop feeling guilty about taking time off from work and focus on yourself.
Before we talk about the break and its blessings, let's first take a look at all the signs of a burnout.
How about you make a checklist and once you've checked out half of these signs, consider that a sign to drop work for a while and refuel? HERE ARE SOME SIGNS YOU NEED A BREAK ASAP
Number 1: Suddenly you’re the world’s biggest cynic.
One thing about constant stress - it will mess you up, even your perception of yourself and other people.
If you push yourself too much without a break in sight, your positivity and your excitement for the future will evaporate into thin air and you will end up being bitter and cynical.
Someone who has no time to stop and smell the roses is soon going to forget the beauty this world and its people have to offer.
The biggest sign of a mental overload is this, even the most happy-go-lucky person will become pessimistic and irritable.
Now I know you ticked this box, so take a breath and get your old self back.
Number 2: You have no energy and you’re willing to half-ass work.
Most people are motivated and ambitious when they start at a new job or work, but hardly anyone stays that way after a while.
The reason is simple, new people put so much of their time and energy into work they completely forget that their body needs time to breathe and recharge.
The consequences of this are horrible, all motivation is lost and so is ambition, and you end up being an angry zombie at work.
The only way to avoid this fate is to take a break.
Number 3: You keep getting sick and feel weak all the time.
The human body is made to endure, but it makes sure to give you ample signs of overwork.
If you start to neglect your body and its needs, it will give you signs.
Constant pain and sickness is the result of such an overload of work.
Long working hours can result in chronic pain like back pain, constant headaches, migraines, frustration and sour mood all the time.
Number 4: You can’t concentrate on work anymore and your performance keeps going down.
If you're wondering why your performance reviews are so poor even after you put the majority of your daily hours into your work, it's because you are putting too many hours into your work and not enough into repairing your body and mind.
You are not a robot and your body needs love and care to nurture and work properly.
Some more signs are feeling fuzzy-headed, low energy, loss of appetite and a disturbed sleep schedule.
If you are seeing these signs in yourself then you know what you need to do - take a break and take it now so you can be healthy and happy again.
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NOW HERE ARE THE BENEFITS OF A GOOD BREAK
Number 1: Breaks help you process and retain information.
It might come as a surprise to some of you but a very concentrated, focused environment isn’t always ideal for better results.
Some people get better ideas when they’re completely stress-free and in a diffused state.
A diffused state of functioning is basically the opposite of a focused state.
If you can’t seem to get things done even when you’re completely concentrating on work, it’s better to take a short break and get up and out.
The idea will come to you when you’re not stressing about it.
It will come to you at unexpected times: in the shower, during a light conversation with friends, during the break you desperately needed.
Number 2: A break will get your creative juices flowing.
Every artist knows and dreads the biggest monster, the art block.
The only cure for an art block is to refresh your mind, step away from work and go where you can get inspired, a short vacation to a beautiful place, a walk in the park, a picnic by the river, or simply a wholesome, fulfilling dinner with family.
It's not just artists that suffer from such creative blocks.
Everyone needs a break for the mind to get back to its full capability.
Number 3: Breaks help get more work done.
This may sound contradictory that taking time off work helps get more work done, but it's true.
Only a fresh, focused person can get work done and someone who hasn't had a break since they saw the light of day isn't the best person for work.
Stepping away from your desk for a bit will help you recharge and get work done better when you start again.
Actively creating a schedule of regular breaks will give you a series of deadlines to work towards, which can spur you on to finish a task more quickly.
And having a break to look forward to will help improve mood as well.
Number 4: Breaks from work improve your relationships.
Okay, this one is a no-brainer but we do often forget.
Your relationships require you to invest time in them, be it your romantic partner, your friends or your children.
A happy, healthy relationship thrives on time and attention.
Your job and career will pay your family's bills, sure, but your loved ones want nothing but to see you often and spend a few happy moments together.
So, whenever you can manage, take a break and go on that family vacation you've been thinking about for so long.
Spend some time each day to play with your kids. Try making it home on time to eat with your family.
Breaks from work will allow you some time to get chores done and manage your private life better.
Number 5: Breaks help you keep your hobbies.
The biggest horror of growing up is realizing just how many people give up on their hobbies because they cannot make time from work.
Your hobbies make you, you. They make life more fulfilling and worth living.
You don't have to give up on your hobbies because you have a job to do and bills to pay.
Short breaks from work can be utilised in cultivating these hobbies.
Who knows, maybe you could be a world-famous singer or painter someday.
If anything, you will be happier at least and that's all that matters.
A break doesn't require you to fall off the face of the earth for two months and go soul-searching in the middle of the Sahara.
Your body and mind are surprisingly easy to take care of.
You just need a few minutes completely stress-free to be recharged again.
Which is why the best thing you can do for yourself is to take short breaks during your workday.
How about a 20 minutes-long lunch break where you take a stroll in a park and enjoy the beauty of nature.
You can take a little time off work to take a social break where you can sit with friends and colleagues and talk about your lives.
Social breaks are surprisingly refreshing and nice but some people might disagree and that's alright.
If you are an introvert and don't enjoy other people's company very much, that doesn't mean you can't take time out to enjoy your own company.
Take a book along to work and take out time to read a chapter.
Sometimes the burnout is more severe and a few short breaks won't do.
This is an alarming thing and you need to fix the damage before it gets worse. Take a vacation if you need it.
Take days off work and just stay at home if that heals you.
The best way to do it is to wake up each day and ask yourself how you feel emotionally, mentally, physically.
Some days you'll need more breaks than others.
So, listen to your body and make sure you're healthy, that's the only way to keep going at work and in life.
It's a proven fact that a break will help you improve health, mood, even your productivity at work.
Now it's up to you to do the rest of the work.
Take out time for short breaks, determine what works best for you.
Would you rather have a few breaks each day or get your work done quickly so you have ample time at home to rewind?
Remember, nothing comes above your health.