words Alexa Wang
If you find that you spend all of your energy on your professional life and you feel more like a workhorse than a human being, you may be shortchanging your experience.
Not only can consistent overexertion lead to dissatisfaction and a lack of fulfillment, but it can cause costly and harmful damage over the long-term. If you are someone who struggles to take a step back from work, consider these reasons why you need to learn to take breaks.
Stuck in the Same Place
If you spend all of your time working without ever taking a break, you may find yourself forever stuck and stagnant. If you never take adventures and explore the world, you are likely missing out on all that life has to offer. Consider how a change of scenery or cruise to St Thomas could be exactly what you need to add some spice to your life. Getting away gives you a chance to decompress and unwind from the stress of normal life so that you can come back to the work centered and restored.
Time Spent With Loved Ones
If you spend all of your time working, your relationships may be another area of your life where you are seeing negative side effects. While working may be fulfilling, solely focusing on work can leave your life feeling hollow and unfulfilling. Don’t let yourself carve out a lonely existence by letting your relationships and meaningful connections fall to the wayside and instead spend some quality time with your loved one.
Nutrition and Breaks
Many adults who are overworked consistently skip lunches or work through their lunch hours. While this may be necessary from time to time, you need to avoid this unhealthy habit. Not only does it rob you of the opportunity to relax and catch your breath during the day, but not breaking for lunch can leave you more likely to eat unhealthily. Don’t let your desire to continue pushing at work impact your health.
Reduction of Health Risks
If you are not fully convinced that you need to take breaks during the day, the argument surrounding your health and wellness may be more compelling. Skipping breaks can result in serious health risks and increased levels of stress. These potentially detrimental side effects of overworking and pushing through the day can be easily mitigated by slowing down now and then to reduce your stress levels and focus on your well-being.
A Lack of Creativity
For those who pride themselves on their level of innovation, it is important to keep in mind that fewer breaks and depriving yourself of the ability to recharge can rob you of your creativity. You cannot be expected to maintain optimal performance and tap into your creative energies when you are burning the candle at both ends. Consider how much you could do if you just spend a bit of time refueling now and again by taking a break.
Burnout
While all of these challenges can be discouraging, you need to keep in mind that consistently pushing your mind and body past what is reasonable can lead to burnout. The reality is that you only have a finite amount of energy, and your body and mind need time to recover. No one can continue to exert themselves past their limits without expecting some sort of blowback. Rest and breaks are a necessary step in the process to recharge, and without it, we can find ourselves burnout and unable to progress.
Many adults pride themselves on their professional lives. When you are someone who wants to do a good job, you may immerse yourself in your work; however, even workaholics need to take a step back and take a break. If you want to function at your best and truly work to the best of your abilities, you need to enforce healthy boundaries and take time to focus on other important areas of your life.
