Just because you can keep going doesn’t mean you should.
Recently I found myself pushed to a familiar breaking point. I knew that if I didn’t stop and give myself a timeout no matter who or what needed me, I would pay for it in exponential terms later.
What does paying for it look like? It can take a lot of forms – getting sick (or sicker), saying something you’ll regret, declining quality of work, poor decision-making, etc.
In our culture, we’re conditioned to take time off once we have hit the wall – usually when we fall ill. But there’s always that moment before that happens when a little voice inside your head says, “I’m pretty run down; I could use a break.”
Shifting the Paradigm
A break does not need to be a vacation. And you do not need to be physically ill to take a day off. Nor does it need to be a full day.
When you hear that voice pop into your head or you feel the fatigue hit your system, ask yourself, “What do I need to feel 100% again?” The answer quickly follows and usually it’s a lot less than you would need once you pass your breaking point. And your mental health is worth it.
The New Routine
1. Listen to Your Body
Your body’s instincts are brilliant. It knows what you need before you do and works hard to send you signals when it is asking for rest.
2. Listen to Your Brain
Many of us take time off for physical symptoms but underestimate the mental and emotional symptoms of fatigue. Is your thinking cloudy? Are you reactive to simple requests? Are you being efficient and productive when you are working? Will your mental health suffer if you keep on at this pace?
3. Plan Ahead
Look to the past to inform your future “health days” by noticing patterns. What kinds of projects wear you out? Is travel hard on you? If something big is coming up, plan to take a day or two off after it wraps to restore yourself – it will also give you something to look forward to. Yes, even if you are a salaried employee.
4. Take Timeouts
I call these mental health moments. Adult timeouts are key to keeping ourselves grounded and on track when we are in the thick of work and unable to take more time. This could be an off-site lunch, a movie night, a walk outside – anything that gives you permission to allow your brain and body to switch to rest mode.
There is also a powerful shift in language and perspective here. Rather than the negativity of a “sick day,” you are engaging in a positive, self-caring action. Health Days are nurturing and preventative where Sick Days have shameful, disempowering connotations in our work culture.
Empower yourself. Take ownership over your mental and physical health. Nobody can tune into what your body needs but you, and nobody will give you what you need but you.
