Sometimes everything can get a bit too much. You feel like the world is on your shoulders and things are falling apart or you feel behind on all your work and projects. At times like these the last thing you will think to do is take a break. The reality is, if you have no urgent deadlines, you need to step back and take a break to prevent burnout.
It’s okay to take a break
There seems to be a culture with people working 24/7 and that you have to do this to be successful. This is definitely not true at all. Some people may be able to handle non-stop work and balancing life, others may need to distinguish divides between the two areas. I’m all for putting in hard work but I don’t agree that working all the time is going to be good for you. It will affect your mental health and it will impact your level of productivity. With efficient time planning, you should be able to schedule your workload. Not only does this help you decide what you need to achieve and when but also how much work you feel you can actually achieve in a certain amount of time.
Since the start of social media, we now live in a generation where everyone is always online and we are processing a constant flow of information. We know what people are up to and are always available for anyone to contact us at any time. When you think about this you begin to realise that our brain has hardly any downtime. Even if you are not working as such, you are still interpreting information and emotionally reacting to it. It is a lot to handle 24/7.
It is more necessary now than ever to make sure we take intentional breaks. Take time off work and from projects. Switch off your device and stay off social media for a little while. When you do this, you are able to think clearly and gain back creative flair. When you return to your projects you will be refreshed, full of ideas and your quality of output will be increased drastically.
If you are feeling overwhelmed – TAKE A BREAK. Most importantly, do not feel bad that you are doing so. It is crucial that we take the time to relax and recharge. Let’s break away from this expectation of having to be productive and busy 24/7.
Do you have a healthy work/life balance? How do you prevent burnout?
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35 Comments
I’m trying way harder to have a healthy work/life balance, especially since I only have two days off so on those days and in the evenings I just do things that make me happy like seeing friends or indulging in self care. Taking a break is so necessary at times – especially nowadays when there’s so much going on with social media etc. Thanks for sharing x
Yes, the two days off go so quick don’t they! You have to do things that you enjoy. Thank you so much for reading xx
For a long time, I was convinced I had to be on non stop to achieve things but the only thing I managed to do is exhaust myself so much i was unable to do anything So yes, it is more than okay, and also much more productive to take breaks!
I believe that sometimes, yes you may have to compromise. But in general to be full on all the time it’s not healthy and it won’t last xx
I find being online and connected all the time just becomes draining. I completely agree with you that you can be so much more productive when you set time. Thanks so much for reading xx
I have been there too! Yes, I find I get great results when I am really involved in twitter etc but you still need to live your life. There are so many people that say you don’t need tons of traffic to make your blog your full time job. I think if you work on it when you are in the mood that’s fine but if you push yourself too hard you aren’t going to enjoy it and you will burnout xx
Such a thought provoking post!
It is so important to take a break when you need it isn’t it? Sometime it can be easier said than done though, like you said especially with social media.
I guess in my working life, I try to leave it at work, and very rarely do extra work at home. Blogging related, I feel bad if I don’t get things done in the time I set, but I am learning that sometimes you just have to step back from it. It will still be there when you come back!
Aimsy xoxo
Yes, my main struggle is trying to keep up with my blog. Not because I don’t have motivation but because I struggle to balance it with working a full time job and giving myself the time I need to relax xx
No way I end up in that same train of thought! I hate the idea of having to work until I’m 70. I would absolutely love to be able to be self employed and choose my own schedule and do something I absolutely love every single day xx
I’m glad it’s not just me, at least! Yes, so true! I’m just trying to see the advantages of an office job – e.g. a set schedule, good friends as colleagues, and cover like pension and time off which might be trickier as a self-employed person! 🙂 xx
Yes a job definitely does have it upsides and when you leave that’s it. If you’re running a business it’s your life 24/7…but you in theory have complete freedom. Xx
Such a good post!
Thanks Asher
I swear I have a talent for passing time doing nothing – sometimes though my mind is still on overdrive. It’s nice when you just let yourself have some time to not worry about anything. I love turning off the internet on my phone – I just love to be disconnected sometimes xx
I think coming up with a routine would really help. Trouble is sometimes if you don’t want to do one thing it then affects everything else. My motto with going to the gym is, if I really am not up for going – I just won’t go because I will end up hating it. Listen to what you need xx
Yes I can relate to this. If we don’t rush, our output will be much higher quality!
Yes we do have to sleep haha! I’m literally in the exact same position as you. I am so passionate about creating content and ideas for courses that I end up exhausted from trying to do everything at once! It’s okay to work long hours every now and then – sometimes it just has to be done and if you are enjoying what you are doing it flies by. However it is so important not to get into a habit of overworking yourself small the time. I really struggle in that when I have downtime – I’m always doing something else. Like when I watch a film I’ll be on social media also {literally right now haha}
This is such a great post! Sometimes it’s not always easy to remember that it is in fact okay to take a break. Even if it’s just for a day of self care!
We can be so hard on ourselves, motivated, but hard on ourselves haha. Self care is so important! Xx
I totally agree! Taking a break is important if you are feeling overwhelmed with life and work is absolutely fine, it does your mental wellbeing and mindfulness wonders by taking time away for yourself, such a great post! xx
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Thanks so much for reading Lucy! I always feel so inspired and creative after a break XX
I love this post and definitely needed to hear this- especially at this time of year. I’m awful for never saying no so often take on more than I can handle and at the moment I’m feeling pretty burnt out. Great post!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
Thanks Sophie! It’s so difficult trying to balance everything! I hope you have a lovely Christmas break and enjoy yourself xx
I just took a much needed week off. Spent time with family, ate what I wanted, and took little time to do social media. It was wonderful!
Sounds amazing! I’m hoping to have a week off at Christmas, I can’t wait to unwind. Xx
I’m definitely burning myself out this month! I’m posting daily until the end of the month and I’m spending forever in the kitchen prepping for it and feel like I’m constantly either busy or thinking about the things I should be doing. I scheduled the first 4 post of December in advance though so I can take a little break when Vegmas is complete and I can’t wait x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
Sophie you are doing amazing! It’s so tough blogging everyday isn’t it – it does pay off though! Make sure you take a well earned break xx
This is such an important post! I often get overwhelmed and I need to remind myself to let myself breath a bit!
S | https://conceptsbys.com
Definitely Simona! Cut yourself some slack. When I step back I like to make a new to do list of the things I’ve been putting off. Sometimes this makes things worse on your brain because you are worrying about it xx
You are so right! I am always on the go, have 2 kids, work a full time job and I am trying to get my online business to a point where I can quit that job. Until then it’s hustle. It is amazing what a small break can do for you. I don’t have a great balance at the time but I am working on it. Great post!
Wow! You are literally superwoman! Don’t forget to make time for you – as difficult as it is with children! You are doing amazing to be able to balance all those things xx
I love that it’s more common for people to accept things like stepping away! Luckily with my job I have a few frazzling days a month that I can get through but it’s not as killer as other people and I’ve been there for 2 years and still like it. But sometimes I am itching to get away so I take a break sometimes by literally going and taking a break and coming back or I take a break and a big Way by booking a super cheap trip and working remotely online!
It’s good that you still like it after 2 years! I seem to get bored around the year mark – the little things start to grate on me haha xx
It is totally okay to take a break! Sometimes, we need the break to gather our creative juices back. The thing about social media is that it will always be there. It’s hard to catch up as it is and that’s fine. We just pick up where we left off. Hope you’re feeling better after your break!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
I am feeling so much better! Just need to get back into writing some content. Been busy trying to restock my eBay for Christmas and completing my tax return that I had put off for months haha. Sometimes we need a break just to catch up! Getting all geared up to have a great start to 2019 xx