Hard work can be a virtue. Being on task, staying productive, and delivering on your promises and obligations is the mark of a great worker and person of integrity. Like all things, though, moderation is key. Work too hard too often, and you could very quickly burn yourself out, leading you down a spiral of exhaustion and self-destruction so debilitating that you won’t have the energy or will to work even half as hard as you used to. . It’s important to take some time for yourself, relax, and recharge before you find yourself running on empty.
Burnout
There are a lot of reasons why taking time off can be good for you,but one of the most important is that it helps prevent burnout. Burnout is a state of profound, prolonged exhaustion that comes from being overloaded with stress. Work can be very stressful at times. If you don’t give yourself some time to relax and ease that stress, it can compound over time, leading to burnout.
When burnout hits you, it can cause immediate physical and mental changes. One’s motivation and drive can go out the window when they’re burnt out. Your executive function— your ability to carry out everyday menial tasks through the use of inhibition control, cognitive flexibility, and memory skills— gets severely compromised by burnout. It becomes much harder to concentrate, stay focused on tasks, and retain memories. You can work yourself into a state where you’re incapable of working!
Warning signs that you may be getting burned out include:
- Fatigue
- Mood changes
- Persistent feelings of apathy and/or dissatisfaction
- Change in eating and sleeping patterns
- Tension headaches
- Back pain
- Gastrointestinal issues (constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, nausea)
The Silent Killer
Even if you don’t get stressed out enough to the point you hit burnout, stress is still something you want to alleviate as much as possible on and off the job. There’s a reason why stress is called the silent killer: stress can spike your blood pressure, disrupt sleep cycles, cause anxiety and depression, increased weight gain, memory problems, and muscle pain. It’s important to use calming exercises and take time off for yourself to ease your stress before it becomes a chronic issue.
You Can Work Too Hard
Another important reason why you should take breaks is that working nonstop is counterproductive. There’s only so many hours in a day in which we can operate at our mental and physical peak. After a certain threshold, our ability to focus, process and retain information, and our general mental acuity diminishes. Studies have found that the average person can work for 4 to 5 hours before their ability to stay focused and on task starts slipping. Research also indicates that taking micro-breaks (3 to 5 minutes) every hour can help keep our cognitive skills fresh, as our brains can get overloaded and exhausted after 50+ minutes of sustained, intensive mental activity. This is why taking breaks is so important: it doesn’t just relieve stress, it helps keep you mentally sharp and physically relaxed enough to operate with efficiency and elan.
Use It orLose It
A classic mistake many people make is to not use your vacation time. Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that it will make us look less reliable or committed to go on vacation, but it’s very important to take advantage of this benefit that your work offers you. You need time away to reset yourself mentally and reconnect with other aspects of your life that you may have had to deprioritize because of work. Vacations can be an effective way to re-establish a proper work/life balance going forward. Many workplaces don’t “roll over” vacation time from year to year, so if you don’t use your time you’re just cheating yourself out of a vacation.
Another benefit of going on vacation is that it can have an “absence makes the heart grow fonder” effect on your workplace. Few things can clearly highlight your importance than your absence. Before you go, though, if you want to come back to a warm reception make sure you’re not leaving people in the lurch. Try not to schedule vacation during a peak time when all hands on deck is necessary. Complete timely projects or pause them properly. Assign ad hoc responsibilities to somebody else. Communicate with your teammates and supervisor so everybody knows what needs to be done while you’re gone. That kind of care and consideration will be deeply appreciated.
Stretch It Out
While it’s important for your mind to take breaks, it’s just as crucial to your physical health to pace yourself at work. Plan to take stretch breaks every hour: go for quick walks, try alternating elevator trips with the stairs. Since so much of modern work is sedentary, it can be very easy to root yourself in place in a chair for hours at a time, which is terrible for your health. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to health issues like increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, increased risk of heart disease and obesity.
Work/Life Balance
The concept of maintaining a healthy work/life balance, bears repeating. One way to overload yourself with stress at work is to “always be on.” There needs to be a separation between your professional and personal selves. When you’re away from work, be AWAY from work. Unless you work an on-call job, you should not look at or respond to work calls or emails at home unless they are urgent. It’s important to set that boundary and enforce. If you create an expectation that you will always get back to people when you’re off the clock they will expect that behavior from you in the future.
Article by Austin Brietta
Career Corner
Looking for more of our career stories? Check out these blogs: