When you need to take a break: 5 signs to watch for

We have completed four months of the calendar year. How do you feel? When I ask people this question, I have received responses that include: excited, motivated, okay, meh, weary, conflicted, lost, angry, and exhausted. There is still so much uncertainty right now in how we work, where we work, and even why we work if you’re on a career exploration journey.

There is such a considerable debate going on over where people work. For some, there is no question…the office is critical. For others, their certainty is in the productivity and balance people have by working remotely. For others, which I put myself in this category, we need to be in the middle and define the purpose of the office and use the in-office time for clear business reasons.

Usually, it is around this time of year in the US when we have made it through the doldrums of post-holiday winter and start seeing signs of Spring. We begin to get an itch to be outside more. Most of us are okay with being glued to our laptops when the weather is terrible. But when the weather turns warmer, we may want to ditch our laptops for books, gardening tools, or toys we can throw to our dogs.

I have been commuting back to an office part-time since January. I have spoken to others taking public transit about how they are now going back to the city one or two days a week. Some are happy about this — excited to put on pants and get out of the house. Others don’t express great joy in “going back.” One person said: “It felt more like going backward,” and she has started to look for a remote position.

Regardless of your point of view on remote and hybrid working, I understand why the varied responses to my question: “How are you feeling?” If you feel something other than excited or okay, you may want to see if it is time to take a break.

I find most of us don’t like taking breaks in the US. We can be so paralyzed by FOMO (fear of missing out), we are driven by results and achievements, or we may even tie our self-esteem to our work. We push ourselves to work hard and achieve success. Some organizations have provided unlimited PTO and find that they need to nudge their US employees to take any time off. “Unlimited” tends to have the opposite effect for those who work nonstop. 

Human beings biologically need rest. How do you feel and how are your decision-making skills when you don’t get sleep? When we do nothing but work and never take a break, quality suffers, emotions get sharper, and stress levels rise. We can ironically also see our sleep suffer, which is what we need in the first place to be energetic and productive.

So, when is it time to take a break? And, by “break,” I mean a break from work. No emails, no teams messages, no meetings, no Slack channels, no agendas. Genuinely unplugging from work and not thinking about it for a few hours, days or even weeks. Given that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I have put these signs on my phone to know when I need a break. Think about your triggers and be aware. 

1. Lack focus for long periods.

The first sign I need a break is that I can’t seem to focus on getting something across the finish line, or I can’t prioritize my work to get started on something. I know we all have felt this. When this happens, we may just need to go for a walk or step away from our computers to interact with someone or pet the dog. When I find my focus has really taken a nose-dive, I may need an afternoon or day off. We need to recharge to focus. Some are wired well to block out the noise and keenly focus on the objective. Some of us have to work at it to focus. If we have to “work at it” too much, we may need a break.

2. Get short or terse with people.

I try not to let my frustration get to me, and I try not to let it impact others. If I start to get terse in my responses, I need to catch myself and think about taking a break. I am not talking about being rude or belligerent. That is behavior that is never okay. I just mean that if I can’t smile enough or have a great attitude toward problems, I may need a break to reconnect with a more positive approach.

3. Struggle with decisions.

I pride myself on making decisions appropriately. I know when I need data and when I can just decide. I don’t believe in agonizing over decisions or playing the woulda, coulda, shoulda game either, as that never helps a situation. When I find that I can’t make simple decisions as I usually can, I take a breath and a break. Decisions are made with clear heads. If our heads are not clear, we need a break to block the noise and clear the cobwebs.

4. Need more creativity.

Most jobs require some level of creativity. I don’t mean “art”; I mean unique ways of solving problems or simple solutions applied to different situations. If I just can’t find a spark of inspiration to think of something another way, I need a break. I believe in changing one’s circumstances and location to get creative. My most creative time is folding laundry. I don’t get it, but folding laundry allows me to do something tactile and give my brain some focused time on something else. Or, that’s what I have concluded anyway.

5. Feel plum exhausted.

Most of us know when we have reached a place where we need a vacation. All the above can manifest in little ways, but nothing beats good old-fashioned tiredness or a lack of mojo. When we get to this place, we need a break. I recommend a week-long vacation somewhere else to smile, take a breath, read a book, hike, swim, go on a tour…whatever reboots your internal motherboard, do it.

Your triggers and signs might be different from mine. Whatever they are, make a mental note, or write them down and keep them top of mind. Take a quick break when you find yourself struggling with specific tasks or people. Go for a walk. Do a 10-minute meditation or talk with someone.

We are all struggling a little bit in one way or another. Don’t shut down your feelings and thoughts. Take a break to recharge. If you need a change of scenery, do it. If you need a major reboot, plan some travel. We are meant to work and rest. Don’t skip the rest part of this equation. We all need it. If you are a manager, try and recognize this in your teams. Use May as Mental Health Awareness month to talk about triggers and give a refresh or reboot day in May. This is ther perfect month to plant and enjoy flowers!