Have you ever had the experience where you just want to hide under the bedsheets all day long, have a good cry, and not come out? Me neither… just asking for a friend (kidding….). If you know this situation, in any varying degree, you’re not alone. I had a few moments like that last week, and while I always try to catch it before I get to that point, sometimes it happens. So today I decided to put together a few ways that signal it’s time to take a small life time-out….
1. Check In With Your Mental State: For me, this is always a key indicator as to whether or not I need a break. It’s normal to feel mild negative feelings from time to time… even healthy if you will…. but I’m talking about those times when it’s more constant (more parts of the day than not). When I just don’t feel myself, I typically ask myself a few questions. Is my mind constantly racing with thoughts of what needs to get done next… or, how everything is going to get done? Am I consumed with thoughts of the “What If…” nature (these are typically anxiety driven, future oriented, thoughts….). Or, maybe it’s not as obvious as the above… and more of a lower than usual motivational state for things that I once had a zest for. For others they may be consumed with sadness for something that happened in the past, be racked with guilt, or some combination of of the above. It doesn’t quite qualify as full blown depression or anxiety yet, but a strong indicator to take a step back….
2. How Are You Feeling Physically?: I truly believe your body will always tell you what you need…. if we listen to it closely enough. For me, when I need a break I notice that I’m much more tired than usual, feeling extra sluggish + getting frequent colds. Some people’s skin might break out… hair fall out… everyone’s body reacts differently, so being in tune with it is essential. I am obviously simplifying it here, but you can do a simple google search to get access to loads of medical articles that discuss the impact of prolonged stress on the body.
3. How Present Are You?: Thinking of a million things instead of what’s in front of you…. yeah, that’s a major sign for me that I’m in need of a break. It could be the most enjoyable, fun, situation, and if I can’t get myself into a present place then I know I’ve taken on way too much.
4. Burnout??: Sometimes you might not be experiencing any of the above that I mentioned, but instead have a serious case of burnout at work. For me, I experienced this as a therapist… and that was why we had such a flexible PTO policy…. and now I still experience it… writer’s block, lack of creativity, no posts coming to mind, etc…. It’s different for every job. Yet if you’re experiencing burnout, it’s likely a sign that you need a little break…. take advantage of the time off that is given to you and clear your head… get some perspective… and enjoy some time away. When I was a therapist, it meant regularly scheduling time off… or regularly attending group supervision to talk about these concerns… now, it involves taking a few days off…. turning off social media, doing something fun to get the creative juices flowing, etc.
As we head into the holiday season ahead, my one goal is to remain fully present with my family + friends… which will mean closely monitoring myself for any of the above four points. I shared a post last year on ways to stay healthy throughout the holiday season as well…
Hope you all have a fun Halloween!
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