I used to be 24/7. The early bird gets the worm, no pain-no gain, being all things to all people, never not working….you get the idea. Looking back, I can honestly tell you yes there were good things that came out of it but sustaining it over a period of many years created a cycle of exhaustion and overwhelm that I had no idea how to get out of.
Unplugging and taking a break is often the first thing that falls off the list. We’ve all been there. There’s too much to do, work has to get done, who else is going to do this…this list goes on. But what we fail to realize is that unless we recharge our own battery, eventually we are headed for a large crash. In my case, I feel I was really lucky. I turned my health and well-being around before I had any major issues but I fully realize for others it may not work out that way.
You can start. Here’s a list of things to try (in order from easiest to hardest):
- Take 10-15 minutes a day for yourself with NO SCREENS. Trust me, the world won’t end in 10 minutes even though it feels like it some days. I don’t care if this is 10 minutes before bed where you read a magazine or just sit with your eyes closed. True story: Back when I had a really stressful position and my own office, I used to close the door and lay on the floor behind my desk to decompress. Sometimes you need to do what you need to do.
- Schedule something fun for an hour even if you have things to do. Again, it’s not a huge amount of time and trust me, things will get done. Think: coffee with a friend, a workout class, browsing the library. Put your phone on do not disturb and set a timer if you wish.
- Take a full day off. Pick a day (could be off from work, could be a weekend) and have no plan. Go with the flow and see where the day takes you. And if it takes you to the sofa watching TV, so be it.
Starting with the above will help you see the benefits of unplugging and taking care of yourself and slowly, you can build things into your routine. Keep in mind also that this will depend on what season of life you are in; for example, if you have small kids, this requires some planning. But trust me, the benefits are worth it. If I could go back in time and advise my younger self, I definitely would have intervened on this point!
One last point: If you find yourself saying you absolutely cannot take a break, it’s a sure sign you need one!
