We can love what we do, but it can still get draining to work in the same environment with the same people on similar things for an extended amount of time. This can cause creative or logical blocks which we call “burning out”.
It’s not always easy to notice the signs or take a mental health day before you burn out. I’ve missed the signs many times and taken days off far later than I should’ve, so I put together this page to help myself (and possibly others) learn what signs to look for when I get close to needing a mental day off, how to accept a mental day off, and how to make the most of that time.
What are the signs?
Dreading going to work. 😓
We can all experience work-induced stressors or anxieties now and then, but if you find that this is becoming a daily occurrence or that you really don’t look forward to work and simply the thought of it is stressing you out, it’s time to take some time away and reset.
You feel guilty or stressed if you don’t respond to messages immediately. 😖
Working remotely requires a special kind of balance. Understanding that being online does not equal being available was a big thing for me. The constant checking of Slack or email can really have a blow to your mental health as well as your ability to focus. If you find yourself stressing over being accessible every moment of the workday (or even after hours), it’s probably time to detach and recharge.
You can’t turn your mind off after hours. 😩
In line with being available 24/7, we also need to learn to “shut down” after work. This doesn’t mean you’re forbidden to ponder the day or brainstorm, but if you’re thinking about work after hours every day and it’s really all you’re talking about or focusing on, it’s definitely time to take a day off. It’s really important to recognize that hours don’t equal the completion of work. If your boss is counting the minutes you’re at your screen rather than the quality or followthrough of your actual work, then frankly that’s not healthy leadership or a stable environment for anyone involved. You should not be feeling guilty for not being constantly available after your work hours.
You start missing the obvious. 😨
I noticed that, at least for me, I’d start to “lose my sharpness” when I start to burn out. Things that are normally glaringly obvious to me would slip past my usual hawkeye review. I am human after all and I miss things, but when it happens back-to-back in a short time span, I start to go through this list and see if I’m having any other symptoms of burning out.
You’re hyper-focusing on details. 🧐
When you can’t seem to get one task done in a way that you’re proud of, then perhaps you need some time away from it. This allows us to detach for a bit and come back with fresh eyes and recharged brains.
You’re irritable or short. 😤
If we’re being pissy to one another for little to no reason, then someone(s) need some time away. Listen – I like working, I love what I do, and I’m super lucky to have empathetic and genuine coworkers, but we can all get sick of each other every now and then for absolutely no other reason than simply neglecting to take enough breaks. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that, yeah? Take a break when you start to feel annoyed more frequently.
There’s a lack of participation. 😶
I find that this is a precursor to the following sign. If you find yourself in meetings constantly looking at the clock, not speaking up or contributing, or working on other things instead of being present, then something’s off. Chances are, this is an early sign of burning out. If you believe a meeting is a waste of time, then it will be. This is not to say you have to speak up in every meeting, but not participating or having your focus elsewhere during a meeting is doing a disservice to you and to the others on the call.
You just don’t care anymore. 🥱
If you’re rolling out of bed and into your office chair, jumping into meetings and being silent, taking the path of least resistance just to get it done, yadda yadda yadda and no f’s are given? Something’s up. Even if you don’t abso-freakin-lutely LOVE what you do, everyone cares. These are our careers, not just some jobs. Simply not caring is a hard place to get to and it takes a lot of time to work up to and then work off. It most likely warrants a good chunk of time away to fully recharge.
Accepting time off work when you’re not actually sick.
Understand why it’s necessary.
Time off isn’t just for emergencies. We all need to recognize that more hours does not equal more success. 1 hour of a human at 100% will undoubtedly result in more success and quality than 5 hours of someone who’s at 20%, regardless of how much they care or how hard they’re working. What are we really doing for our work and ourselves if we’re irritated, unexcited, stressed, or drained? Any good and level-headed human would tell you to take time off and come back recharged rather than work through it.
What’s the right frequency?
Many companies have varying stances on this, but ultimately you’ll know the right balance when you feel it. If you find you’re wanting a day off every couple of weeks, there’s either an underlying issue that leaves you unhappy in your position or you may just be getting too cozy with time off! Don’t abuse it, use it.
If you find that you’re just not happy at work after having taking time off a few times, it could be because there’s something else that you find unacceptable. You might want to try altering some other things like lifting workplace culture, changing your scenery at home, swapping teams, or even voicing your struggles with your boss. Things don’t fix themselves, so try to be proactive about identifying issues and then solving them yourself where you can or proposing solutions to the appropriate people. (But don’t let this consume you, either!)
How to make the most of my mental health time.
Give yourself permission.
This was a biggie for me. I was * t e r r i b l e * at allowing myself time for me. Granted, I’m still not a pro, but I’ve come a long way in terms of realizing that my physical and mental health actually does come first. I can’t do my job with a fried brain or a strained neck and eyes every day. It’s not only okay to allow yourself time to be healthy, but it’s just plain responsible. You should never feel guilty for making sure you’re in tip-top shape both for work and for yourself.
Accept the length of time you need.
Mental health time doesn’t have to be a full day off. Take a walk, a nap, read for an hour, play with your pet – whatever. Take the time you need to release the burn out symptoms and to reset, whatever length of time that is. There are days where I’m halfway through my workday and I just need a moment to be away from my screen. Taking these breaks when I start to notice the burn out pattern surfacing allows me to get my work done.
Plan in advance.
Take some time to reschedule meetings, give people a heads up, set your email to auto-respond, etc. More than that, plan ahead for your day off. Prepare yourself to not work, think about work, check work, or do anything related to work. Start telling yourself that you’ll completely quit cold-turkey for those days off a week or so in advance. Then it’s a little easier to mute your work notifications and just let go for a bit when the time off finally arrives.
BUT Don’t force an agenda.
Make sure you aren’t using it to do housework, take care of things you’ve been meaning to do, run errands, etc. (Unless that’s what helps you unwind.) Something I did that backfired HARD on me was trying to plan all of my time off with activities or items from my to-do list. By the time I got back to work, the stress from it all made me even more burned out than I was when I left. I was exhausted.
It’s completely okay to take a day off and just lounge. Be lazy! Chances are, that’s exactly what you need since burning out is usually a result from overworking yourself mentally and/or physically. If you find something you want to do, do it! But it’s not a school trip. Go with the flow; work is already structured enough. No need to make your time off structured as well. (Unless that’s what you’re into.)
TL;DR
Get in the habit of reflecting on your day-to-day. If you’re not feeling like yourself or you’re not proud of your output, take some time off to decompress, detach, and come back with a fresh perspective. We’re no good to the people around us when we’re burnt out.
Stay lit, people. 🔥