When It’s Time For A Break, Take One
Sometimes you really need to disconnect.
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I’ve noticed that, of late, whenever I’ve told people that work’s been keeping me busy all the time, they almost always reply with a quip that goes along the lines of: “That’s good; it’s better to be busy than doing nothing!”
This is a remark that I too have laughingly said to many a counterpart of mine, and while I perhaps should not be reading too much into the pleasantries we engage in when we start up conversations, I’ve come to the realization that I need to stop passing off being “busy all the time” as an acceptable state of mind for those of us in the workforce. No, it’s not “good,” neither is it “normal,” and it’s definitely not something worth glorifying either- and this needs to be really taken to heart by those of us in the entrepreneurial realm.
While there’s been a lot of chatter around burnout in the startup ecosystem, I’ve come to realize that it’s one thing to know about these problems, and it’s another thing altogether to actually do something to prevent or solve such issues. I must admit here that I’m guilty of this personally- despite the number of articles and advice I’ve read and heard about keeping oneself away from burnout (which includes everything from the importance of delegation, to simply saying no to assignments that overload you), I’m sorry to say that I’ve been finding myself completely drained and exhausted, almost consistently, over what I think has been an awfully long period of time.
In order to get myself out of this rut I’ve fallen into, I’m thinking of taking a break from work- and this time, I’m wanting a real break from my job, which shall see me hitting pause on anything relating to it for a specific period of time. The issue with a vacation that sees you answering emails and addressing minutiae via instant messages is that you aren’t on vacation. There is no recharge time– and that is an issue that gradually builds up until you just can’t think straight anymore.
There’s an odd sense of guilt that hits me for even thinking this way –after all, it’s absolutely a privilege that I’m able to even consider doing this- but I do feel the need to cut myself off from emails, tweets, WhatsApp messages, and everything else that relate to work for me to, well, refocus and rejig my passion towards it again. It’s no fun being tired all the time, regardless of how much you may enjoy or value what you do- and if a break can help me get past it, so be it.
Related: Mr. Nice Guy Gets The Job Done
I’ve noticed that, of late, whenever I’ve told people that work’s been keeping me busy all the time, they almost always reply with a quip that goes along the lines of: “That’s good; it’s better to be busy than doing nothing!”
This is a remark that I too have laughingly said to many a counterpart of mine, and while I perhaps should not be reading too much into the pleasantries we engage in when we start up conversations, I’ve come to the realization that I need to stop passing off being “busy all the time” as an acceptable state of mind for those of us in the workforce. No, it’s not “good,” neither is it “normal,” and it’s definitely not something worth glorifying either- and this needs to be really taken to heart by those of us in the entrepreneurial realm.
While there’s been a lot of chatter around burnout in the startup ecosystem, I’ve come to realize that it’s one thing to know about these problems, and it’s another thing altogether to actually do something to prevent or solve such issues. I must admit here that I’m guilty of this personally- despite the number of articles and advice I’ve read and heard about keeping oneself away from burnout (which includes everything from the importance of delegation, to simply saying no to assignments that overload you), I’m sorry to say that I’ve been finding myself completely drained and exhausted, almost consistently, over what I think has been an awfully long period of time.
