Lately, a lot of clients and colleagues have been reporting burnout. I’m watching good friends get tired, sleep badly, and fall sick often. And yet they push on.
It’s the June holidays already. Well… only for those in mainstream Singapore schools. I really like hearing about clients’ holiday plans, and hopefully those who take some vacation time will return to work refreshed and re-energised.
The idea I want to share here is simple: breaks are important.
I hear the same lines over and over:
- “I have to go on this business trip, there’s a major event”
- “My customers are counting on me”
- “If this report is late, I’m going to get into so much trouble”
- “My boss insists that I attend this global call at midnight”
- “I keep getting work texts on the weekend… but I cannot not reply”
Pushing yourself too much makes you less productive, less effective, and when you’re sick you are no use to anyone. If you rush on, you might miss details and perform poorly.
If you’re gunning for a promotion or looking to accelerate your career, you need to press the pedal of course, but also learn to pull back so you can inhale and adjust.
But it’s easy to say “just take a break”, and it’s not as straightforward as it seems. Here are some ideas on how to take a breather and set boundaries.
1. Reframe The Idea Of A Break
We feel a high level of GUILT when we take breaks. Because of this guilt, many people work through their lunches or their vacation time and never truly get the opportunity to recharge.
Try changing your mental narrative from “taking a break” to “strategic recharging for performance enhancement”, or something similar.
You’re not resting. You are pausing to re-strategise. You are refuelling the creative side of your brain with a book. You are re-stocking your mental shelves.
2. Block Out Mindspace Time
Unclutter your mind. Use your calendar to schedule mindspace, but you might want to change the label so your colleagues don’t think you’re wasting time.
Call it “Operations Planning”, “Weekly Review”, “Resource Planning Session” or “Market Analysis”. Then make sure to use that time productively for a quick walk, some desk yoga, or reaching out to your network. Do NOT doomscroll on social media.
3. Don’t Set An Unhealthy Precedent
If your colleagues and bosses are constantly messaging and asking you to complete tasks, do not train them to expect an immediate response.
If you have been going above and beyond all this time, it might be harder for you to reverse that expectation and set boundaries.
Do not respond to texts on weekends unless it’s an emergency.
4. Take A Real Vacation
Vacations should be rejuvenating, but I’ve noticed that people tend to pack as much as possible into their vacation, so much so that they need a break after their break. They return even more drained than before they went.
It could be our nature of always trying to maximise ROI and optimise our time. As you plan your next vacation, do schedule time to rest and recharge.
5. Disconnect From The Digital Stuff
This is probably the hardest piece of advice here to follow.
We are always connected via mobile, so work follows us around and we constantly check our emails. Do you check WhatsApp or Telegram every time there’s a notification?
We also instinctively hop onto social media between tasks. Sometimes, while stopped at a red light, the car in front doesn’t move because the driver is checking his phone.
I’m not advocating disconnecting entirely, but we need to manage the digital stuff and not let it control us.
The Two Lumberjacks
Simon Sinek once told a story about two lumberjacks. They start and stop work at the same time each day, but one consistently produces more wood than the other.
The more productive lumberjack disappears for about an hour in the middle of the day.
When the other confronts him, “Where do you go for an hour every day?”, the reply is: “I go home to sharpen my axe.”
June is the school holidays. It’s a good reminder to take a breather and sharpen our axes, so we come back stronger.
Keep Calm and Career On!
