“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”
We all have heard this proverb somewhere in our lives. But we never understood the meaning of it thoroughly until we started working. We all work. It’s a kind of ritual that every grown-up follows to sustain his/her lifestyle unless you aspire to be a monk.
We all follow a similar routine every day- waking up early in the morning; getting all suited up; commuting to work; reaching our respective workplaces; exerting ourselves and hustling throughout the day; finishing everything on time; filing daily reports; leaving office; reaching home; catching up on our sleep. And the next day the cycle repeats itself. It’s like we’re a part of some vicious cycle that pauses on weekends and starts again on Mondays. Caught up in all this, we’ve forgotten when to stop. When to have a sip of water or catch a breath. We have forgotten when to give ourselves the time our body needs.
We’ve forgotten that there is a certain difference between us and machines. Machines are designed to produce maximum output with minimal inputs. But even machines are given a time-out to cool and maintain themselves. This brings out the best output from them. The same principle applies to humans as well. Breaks are important for us. Taking an off from work, going on vacation, or just taking an hour off from daily routine can bring so much energy into us that we all have been craving for.
When we take a break, we don’t run away from our work or responsibilities; we’re actually taking care of ourselves so we’ll have the energy to perform our best. Breaks are demands from the brain to keep our stress levels in check. Believe it or not, but taking breaks is actually a need of your work-life productivity. Anything that increases your productivity at work should be treated as work only. Taking breaks should not be treated as a sign of laziness instead they should be considered as a catalyst that helps us prevent laziness.
Many of you might not agree with me on this but breaks are actually a means to improve productivity and interest in work. Here are some signs which tell your body that you need a break:
- You’re making mistakes often
You thought you were having a good day but suddenly out of nowhere your boss calls you and scolds you for a typo that he found out in your report. When we work too much, our brain stops paying attention to things like it is supposed to. This results in minor errors that you normally wouldn’t make. These small mistakes are signs that you are overworked and it’s time to give your brain a break. - There’s no motivation to work
You look around yourself, people are working tirelessly, checking everything on their to-do list but you just don’t feel motivated. You are lagging behind on your deadlines. Some mornings, you don’t even want to turn up for work. This is nothing but your body telling you to stop and take rest. Lie in your bed, complete your sleep. Go for a movie or visit a beach. Spend some time with yourself. You’ll realize how good and motivated you feel after that break. - You lack focus
Are you spending most of your time contemplating things that don’t add value to your work? Like a trip to the Bahamas, or a road trip to Himachal with friends. Or maybe just infinitely scrolling on your phone. These are all red flags that you aren’t focused or dedicated to your work and you need to get away from your workplace for some time. If you don’t do it, the lack of focus will reflect on your performance and people will start questioning your credibility. - You don’t engage with your colleagues
An average person spends around 50 hours per week at work. In other words, your work is a big part of your life. Which in turn means that you’ll be spending a lot of time with your colleagues. But when you’re burnt out your desire to socialize reduces and you start bailing out on lunches, office parties or retreats. And that is not at all a good thing. It is a time tested fact that when you have friends around, you’re happier because the job becomes fun and enjoyable. When you find yourself distancing from your friends, you must realize that this is because of your system overloading. - You just want to survive the day at the workplace
The feeling of being overworked, exhausted keeps you from thinking long term. You just want to survive the workday. Over a period of time, with a focus on barely surviving the day-to-day grind, you may start losing interest in your long-term goals. With a lack of interest, your dreams to move up the company ladder or working towards your career aspirations may seem to be a distant memory.
It helps if one is able to take some time off work and stay disconnected from work, from office emails. A break could be as simple as a 15 min of meditation, or breathing exercise in a break away room or could be a week off from office. You have to decide what works for you, but it is important that you allow your body and mind to rest for some time. Try it. You are bound to feel rejuvenated and purpose-driven when you are back on your desk.
Sandeep is a journalism and mass communication graduate with a keen interest in politics and business. He is a part of Research & Content team at HrNxt.com.