Never-ending responsibilities and constant hustle can be exhausting to say the least. You may not even be aware of the fact that you are hurting for some quality time off. No one knows you better than yourself – you’re at the forefront of burnout aversion.
Burnouts are a very real thing that can negatively impact your professional as well as your personal life. It’s all fun and games until the pressures of work weigh you down even after the fact. Now I am not telling you to drop everything you’re doing, but you need to assess your own situation and evaluate when it’s time to take a break.
It may not always be easy to tell when it’s time to pump the brakes. An occasional day may fatigue you more than others – that happens and it shouldn’t be a cause for concern. These however are the three main things to look out for that may be the tell-tale sign you are ready for time off.
Fleeting Motivation
Being motivated is a great feeling. You’re willing to get going with a smile on your face and a burning desire for progress. Motivation is there that spurs you into action without much outside influences. That of course is great for you and great for the work you’re doing.
Now there may come a time when that once strong feeling of motivation suddenly vanishes. It may be a temporary hiccup that can be overlooked – it happens to the best of us. You should however be aware of how long this persists. Going about your day at work and outside of it without a pep in your step that motivation gives you is not a pleasant feeling. Not to mention the lackluster results you may be producing as a result.
Sapped motivation could be one of the first signs that it may be time to down-shift a gear and take it easy.
Lack of Focus
Being determined to get the work done while tuning everything else out – that’s focus. Now based on that one sentence alone, you may already be able to tell how lack of focus is not a good thing for your productivity.
Being discombobulated and having your mind wonder on things unrelated with the task at hand may be your body telling you something else needs to be addressed. Pertinent issues may arise in your life that can take precedence over work – take care of those issues. This will free up your mind to help you get back on the workhorse.
Other times your mind may begin wondering and contemplating possible attractive future events such as a vacation, or cracking a few cold ones with the crew. Again, these are some signs that could mean you’re due for a break.
Surrounded by an Ever-growing Mess
Can’t even bother to lift a finger and clean up the mess? Your work will suffer, your productivity will plummet and the mess will just keep getting worse. Let’s face it, having a cluttered work environment does not offer any upsides to you.
Take a step back and feast your eyes on the clutter that has accumulated in your space. Is that cohesive to your well-being and work performance? I don’t think so. Take a time out, and hit the ground running after you have taken some time off for yourself. When you come back after a hiatus, start the new day by cleaning up your immediate work area.
Breaks Are Good
Don’t beat yourself up too much for needing to take some time off for yourself. We’re not machines and burning out is a reality that a lot of us may face. The key here is to acknowledge the symptoms and address them before they spiral out of control.
Take a step back away from all the responsibilities and reward yourself with leisure.