We all need a break at some point or another, as much as some of us don’t want to admit it we simply aren’t robots. So why do so many of us simply not recognise the fact that we are close to burn-out? (and yes burn-out is a very real thing). In fact, one third of people in the UK don’t take their fully entitled annual leave every year. You could take a few guesses as to why this is; perhaps money is tight, perhaps work is incredibly busy or perhaps people feel like they’re just not entitled to take time for themselves… Whatever the reason going for extended periods of time without a break can be extremely detrimental to ones mental and physical health, so what are the key warning signs that show you it may be time to get away for a bit?
- You’re eating more than normal. This goes past eating for boredom, if you find yourself reaching for more than just a few snacks at work, perhaps you’re finding that your lunch just isn’t giving you the energy you need to get through the afternoon or maybe the prospect of any kind of food other than a takeaway pizza and a chocolate cookie is unappealing. Your body is telling you it needs energy that it can’t get from food alone.
- Your social life is kind of non-existent. We don’t mean to be rude but when was the last time you met up with your mates? Or even your family? It has been said that not spending enough time with friends and family is one of the top regrets of people on their deathbeds, so do you want that to be you?
- You have caffeine running in your blood stream. That morning latte has become a triple shot espresso and a post-five pm coffee hit has become a necessity, let’s face it you’re not just drinking all the coffee because you like the taste.
- You oversleep pretty darn frequently, in fact your morning alarm has started to feel like a bit of background noise rather than the call for you to wake up and start your day.
- You haven’t posted anything to your social media accounts because you feel like nothing exciting has happened. Oh, and whenever anybody else posts an image of them on holiday, out for dinner or doing something vaguely interesting you get annoyed (it’s not because you’re a bad person, we promise!).
- You are never home, in fact it could be questionable whether your roommates even know you exist anymore. The only sign of you being at home is a bottle of ketchup and some leftover takeaway containers in the fridge, yeah, not a good thing…
- You live for Friday. Although when it finally arrives you end up doing the same thing you do every evening. Work, work and perhaps a bit more work accompanied with that takeaway pizza we were talking about earlier. (oh and don’t forget the triple espresso!)
- Your gym card is collecting dust. Nope you don’t have an injury (even if you try to convince yourself or others that you do) nor do you go out running but instead you’re working from dusk til dawn barely giving yourself time to catch some fresh air and take a brisk walk. Yeah that’s not any good for your physical or mental health.
- Phone calls become the bane of your life. Not only do you absolutely detest your ring tone but with every call you receive comes an instant assumption that it’s work related and even if it is your friend you ignore it because work is just ‘so busy…’.
- And last but not least what used to bring you joy now irrationally annoys you. Whether it’s a hobby you used to frequently partake in or the job that you used to enjoy whenever you think about it you just sigh.
So, did you answer yes to one or more of the ten points outlined above? If you did it really is time to think about booking a bit of a break. Whether that’s a weekend getaway or a week-long adventure it’s important for you take some time for yourself, relax, unwind and decompress. In fact, you’ll almost definitely feel better upon your return, after all the effects of a good holiday are almost immediate with research showing that even after only a day or two, 89% of people experience significant drops in stress. What are you waiting for? Take a break, you deserve it.
