How many times in the last year or even in the last month have you said, “It’s just temporary so I just need to power through.” Whether it’s a work project, an overwhelming amount of kids' extracurricular activities, or temporarily taking care of a family member, pushing through when your body and mental health are telling you to take a break, could have real, long-term effects on your health.
What temporary stressors are overloading you?
More and more I find myself talking to women who are juggling their work and family lives while also taking care of older family members. And on top of that, they’re still doing the hybrid work schedule that started when Covid hit. With all the benefits of a flexible, remote, work schedule, the downside has been that the work day never ends. We started answering our phones from home and all of a sudden there were no office hours.
To get through the extra work and extra stress, you might tell yourself that because these things are temporary, you can push through until things let up and you finally have time to focus on your needs. The problem is, one temporary issue bleeds into another and another, creating one permanent grind towards burnout. And once you burn out, you won’t have a choice but to stop. You’ll stop for much longer than if you’d paused to take care of yourself along the way.
Is it time to pause?
How do you know when it’s time to pause? There are certain signs that what you’re going through is more than stress…
- Lack of energy
- Overwhelming fatigue
- Sleep problems (too much or too little)
- Changes in eating habits; weight loss or gain
- A feeling of hopelessness
- Withdrawing from, or losing interest in, activities you once enjoyed
- Neglecting your own physical and emotional needs
- Feeling like caregiving, work, or any other responsibility is controlling your life
- Becoming unusually impatient, irritable or argumentative with your family, coworkers, clients, or the person you’re caring for
- Anxiety about the future
- Depression or mood swings
- Difficulty coping with everyday things
- Headaches, stomachaches, and other physical problems
- Lowered resistance to illness
If you’re experiencing any of these, it’s time to press pause, recover, and find a strategy to take care of yourself now.
Taking a break isn’t wasteful or selfish
If, like me, you’re a Type A achiever, pausing can feel like the last thing you want to do. The daily grind is one of those things that we take pride in because we’re hard workers who can push through anything! But when it starts to grind us down, the best thing you can do to prevent burnout is take a break.
A break might not feel productive. It might even feel like a waste of time! But isn’t it a bigger waste of time to make mistakes and bad decisions because you’re too exhausted to think? Isn’t it a bigger waste of time to push yourself so hard that you lose your drive? Taking a break is as important as grinding. It’s part of the journey to a better career, to becoming a great partner and parent, and to getting healthier.
Find power in the pause!
You can’t keep going with the mindset that “it’s temporary.” If you need a break now, take one now. Put new strategies in place now. Enjoy life now. If you’re ready for that, then sign up for the “Power of the
Pause” retreat I’m co-hosting with Patricia V. Hayes, J.D. at the end of September. I would love to have you join us to pause, take a breath, and get some support.
