You’re working hard. Hours in front of the laptop or a long shift at work. You feel the fatigue setting in, your eyes get tired, and your work suffers. Those are pretty clear signs that it’s time for a rest.
However, things are sometimes not so simple. Individuals can get into the habit of hard work, can find themselves running on a sort of mysterious momentum (and coffee), and finding themselves just continuing to work, long missing the point where the body has started sending signals that it’s time for a rest.
There is absolutely no doubt that the modern world is hectic and stressful andthat many of us are simply working too much. It’s not the old days any more – most working people do have adequate access to rest and relaxation. The problem is that many of us don’t know when to take it. Thankfully, your body does indeed send you signals. You just need to learn how to recognizethem.
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Burnout
Burnout isn’t really a well-defined phenomenon, but it refers to a range of symptoms which arise when one is overstressed or overworked. Burnout can lead to depression, extreme fatigue, anxiety, and a feeling that you have been completely overwhelmed and simply cannot work anymore.
It is certainly preferable that you do something about this before you get to the point of burnout, simply becauseby that pointyou know things have gotten out of hand. It is far better to prevent this issue by putting some measures in place to ensure that you get adequate rest and respite from work.
A Word About Time Management
Or better yet, what if you could ensure that you never get to the point where you really need a rest? What if you could ensure adequate rest every single day and no workload that ever brings you to the point where your body starts rebelling? There is a way to do this;it is known as time management.
Next Level Daily, a company that produces a daily journal planner, say that the goal of such products is to set out how, every day, the tasks you need to do get done but, most importantly, to ensure it never becomes too much for you. However, proper daily planning and time management means knowing what your limits are. For that, you need to know when it is time to take a rest.
How to Know When You Need a Rest
So, to find out how much work is too much, look for these tell-tale signs that it’s time you should take a break:
Tiredness
Well, duh. But it isn’t quite as simple as naturally feeling tired after a grueling day at work. That is natural and nothing to worry about. Rather, we’re talking about feeling unusually tired, and at a point in the day when you really shouldn’t. Of course, this could also be down to a lack of sleep, so consider that too.
You Cannot Get Through the Day Without Stimulants
Having a cup of coffee in the morning is fine. But when you really cannot make it through an ordinary day without inhaling the stuff, it’srest time!
You Cannot Concentrate
Again, ensure this isn’t just because of a lack of sleep. But if you feel like you cannot focus on your work when it’s only 11 o’clock and you’ve had your usual coffee, it’s clear that things are going in the wrong direction.
Ultimately, recognizing these symptoms is nothing short of vital self-care. Notice them early, and act accordingly. You will surely sort the problem before it gets out of hand.
