Take a Break!

"Everybody needs a little time away.." Peter Cetera, Chicago

When I was a kid, I never thought I would have to have someone tell me to not work so much. Get into your childhood mind right now and see how strange that is. When you were a kid, work was a chore, it took you away from being you. But now that most of us identify ourselves with what we do, working is our expressing ourselves as us. But is it? Talking to my oldest son a few days ago, he mentioned how he loved being productive at work. It is true that there are not many things that will satisfy you like accomplishing a task. Like writing this blog. When I finish a piece, it is very satisfying. But that is only a part of me. We all need a little time away. Often, when we have the most going on and there is a lot riding on our productivity, that is the best time to take some time off. Pushing through, or grinding it out, may not be the most productive. I have had so many projects where I have been looking at the numbers and balancing and reconciling to no avail. I take a break, take a walk, or go home and rest. When I come back, the insurmountable obstacle seems to vanish without much work at all. It has been proven scientifically that a refreshed and rested mind is the most functional.

The truth is that the lack of rest can be devastating. Lack of rest can lead to depression, alcoholism, co-dependency, lack of boundaries and poor productivity. There are of course symptoms or signs that you have fallen into a pattern of over work. If you have insomnia, it may be because you haven't taken some time off to decompress. If you drink more than usual to help "take the edge off your day," you are self-medicating instead of curing the issue. Falling asleep at work is a symptom as well. One time I walked in on one of my interns in his office. He was in his chair, leaned back looking up with his eyes closed and snoring. He could have recovered from this awkward position if he would have said "Amen" when he came to. To his defense, he was in his last semester of school and working for us during tax season. A temporary condition of over work. I have had many of these symptoms over the years at various times in my career. At one time I was working alone in the late hours and several times woke up from sleeping on my desk. I had laid my head on my arms in frustration, closed my eyes and it was over. Sometimes your body will get its rest whether you are on board or not.

What is rest? Rest is just giving yourself time to recharge. During the day it may be trips to the gym or taking a walk. I am a firm believer in having hobbies that take your mind off your job and family life and focus it intensely on something else. For me that is art, music and martial arts. I have built into my schedule two to three times a week for a taekwondo class. In addition, I have music lessons once a week with regular practice times throughout the week. Occasionally, I will sketch portraits in my sketch pad. These help me take my mind, and sometimes my body as well, out of my workspace and into what I like to call soul rest. I usually start the day with 30-40 minutes of exercise as well. Running or biking can be very therapeutic.

How do you rest effectively? As I said before, short intervals during your work week help provide some rest. But we also need regular intervals of rest that are full days, weeks or more. My wife and I like to take several 2-to-3-day trips during the year to refresh. They provide a time together and some real break from the office. After one such trip I came back with renewed hope. You see, the day before we left, one of my top employees said that they were moving to another firm. It really brought me down. Angela was concerned it was going to hang over our trip and keep me from enjoying our time together. It started out that way. But after the first evening meal I had let it go and we were enjoying the weekend again. Aside from weekend getaways, you should also have at least one day a week that you do no work. This is called a Sabbath. It was created for us to help us recharge and rest our bodies. We usually have two days for the weekend, one for housework to-do's and one for no work.

Protect your Sabbath. Not because God will be mad at you or for you to feel guilty if you check your email. No, this one is all for you. Boundaries need to be set because you are important. You are worth it. Longer vacations are also a time for you to be with family and remember what is important. Take it in. Enjoy those moments with your wife, your kids. They are the reason you work. At least one of the reasons you work. You can't say that if you don't schedule time with them. They won't believe you and eventually you won't believe you either. A sabbatical is an extended time off. Few people ever get to take this kind of break. It is usually reserved for high level executives once every three to five years. It can be a great time of reflection and restoration. I haven't personally been on a sabbatical, but I know some that have. You can tell a difference in their energy and enthusiasm for the mission of their organization. Have you ever called a tech support line where you tell them your problem and they say, "have you turned it off, waited and then turned it back on?" That is what rest does for you. It unclogs the flow of your thoughts and eliminates the cache you have stored up over time.

Resting is the white space on the page. It is what allows you to focus on what is important. Don't neglect yourself or your health. You owe it to yourself and those who love you to take a break!

I hope this helps you. If you have any questions or would like to visit about this further, email me at [email protected]. Please leave a comment or a review. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn as well.