Sometimes, it can seem like all you do is work, right? You work at, well, work. But that might just be the beginning. There are always projects and chores to do at home—cooking, cleaning, folding laundry, mowing the lawn, and on and on. You might have work to do related to a volunteer project at your kid’s school or with your service club or at your house of worship. You may be responsible for getting various people to various places at various times. It can all be truly overwhelming.
And then, in those rare moments when you do find time for yourself, you may discover that you feel guilty because you are not doing something “productive.” Truthfully, that is the worst.
So many of us are so busy all the time. It might seem like the demands on our time are infinite.
If all of that sounds familiar, you are likely experiencing symptoms of burnout. Perhaps unsurprisingly, that can be bad for your mental health.
We want to encourage you to carve out the space you need to rest and relax. That can feel impossible, but we assure you it is not. In fact, the tools you use to keep track of your busy schedule can be the very tools that let you find time to relax.
Get Out Your Calendar
Here is a simple idea that might just sound revolutionary to you: be intentional about putting breaks into your calendar.
Your calendar is likely filled to bursting with all the tasks you need to complete, meetings you need to attend, and so on. What if it also included times when you will do something other than work?
When you take a moment to think about it, you will no doubt realize that your calendar shapes your day. It tells you when your next deadline is, when your next meeting is, when you need to pick up the kid from baseball practice, and so much more. When you see it in your calendar, you do it.
And that is exactly what makes building breaks into your calendar such a powerful life hack—and a great way to keep burnout at bay.
What kinds of breaks belong in your calendar? All kinds! Your morning coffee break. Your lunch hour. A short walk in the afternoon. The time you want to start winding down before bed. The hours over the weekend you want to devote to a hobby or to spending time with friends. And, of course, you should have vacation time built into your calendar—whether that means taking a long weekend or a two-week trip to someplace where you do not have to answer emails.
There is only one kind of break we would strongly advise against.
Don’t Spend Your Breaks Scrolling Social Media
Many of us are in the habit of scrolling through our various social media feeds whenever we take a break, but that is not such a great idea. Here’s the Harvard Business Review’s take on social media:
Our review shows that browsing social media is the most common break type — almost everyone (97%) reports engaging in this activity. However, researchers find that scrolling through social media during work breaks can lead to emotional exhaustion. As a result, people end up with diminished creativity and work engagement instead of replenished resources. As such, this type of break may not be effective for boosting performance.
All those other kinds of breaks we mentioned? Those have been shown to increase productivity and creativity. Social media is the exception, so we suggest steering clear of it when you are considering what to do during your next moments of relaxation.
Remember: This Post Is About Your Mental Health
Maybe you read that bit about how taking breaks can make you more productive and more creative and felt a little surge of excitement. Are we suggesting that you could maybe even do more work than you are currently doing if you engage in some judicious break-taking?
We are not suggesting that.
This post—like all the posts on this blog—is about improving your mental health. Burnout is the enemy of good mental health, so we want to encourage you to get into the spirit of taking true breaks. Rest, relax, recharge—and be sure to do it regularly.
Sure, you might see a boost in your efficiency and the like. More importantly, you might experience a boost to your mental health.
We Shine Brightly When It Comes to Helping You
At Peak View Behavioral Health—located in Colorado Springs, Colorado—we personalize mental health treatment to meet the specific needs of individuals struggling with depression, panic or anxiety disorders, issues centered on past traumas, and more. Our approach is grounded in evidence, expertise, experience, and empathy, so you can count on us to treat you effectively and with respect as we work together to improve your mental health.
If you are ready to restore the balance in your life so you can reclaim and embrace a sense of hope about the future, we are here to help.
