In order to do good work, in order to be able to complete things, your brain needs rest. Not only psychologically, but physiologically.
Remember that every decision you make drains a little bit more of your limited daily allowance of Executive Function, aka decision-making ability.
You're probably already running on a deficit, which continues day after day and continues to take its toll until you hit bottom. And that's what we call burnout.
To avoid burnout, you need rest. You need time off. You need to do less in order to do better. You need to do less in order to have the energy to do at all.
A real vacation is critical for your mental health and perspective.
"Time off" and "vacation" are not the same thing
Time off is time away from your job so you can do the things you want or need to do and don't normally have the time for. For example, catching up on the news in your field or hobby, working on projects, learning a new language, doing repairs or building things around the house, visiting your relatives, gardening, and so on.
Vacation is a word that has, as its root, a word that means "[to be] unoccupied." That means you gotta get gone. Mentally, and preferably physically.
You need a real vacation
The value of vacation time is lost if it's not a "real" vacation.
A real vacation is most easily defined by what it does not include:
- being in contact with "the office" at all (not even a little!)
- cleaning or other things you "should" do
- projects of any kind
- being productive!
- running around trying to fit a hundred touristy things into each day
- being constantly reminded of things you haven't done (e.g. by looking at the dirty laundry pile or cabinets that need repainting)
- guilt about what you should be doing
- daydreaming about what you could be doing
- alarm clocks, preferably
- tons of social obligations
- lots of partying (unless that makes you feel more energetic)
A real vacation is best spent:
- enjoying a change of scene
- getting lots of sleep
- doing absolutely nothing useful
- reading (but not with a professional/career-minded purpose!)
- people watching
- hiking
- swimming
- looking at beautiful scenery
- staying in
You can get away.
Real vacations don't have to be expensive, especially if you enjoy camping or other kinds of adventures.
Even if you can't physically get away, you can prep for a real vacation at home by planning ahead: do a good solid clean first, before your vacation starts, and hide away things that remind you of tasks you (think you) must get to later. Tell people you're having a "weekend away at home," and ask them to pretend you're not there. Get somebody to take the kids and/or dog.
Plan out your time with big unspecific blocks, doing only a very few things each day. For example, one day, plan to have breakfast (or lunch) at a favorite restaurant. Then go to the park. Maybe read a novel, maybe play some Frisbee, or watch the leaves rustle in the wind. Have no other plans until dinner, if not later. Don't dress up. Order in. Take a long bath or hit up a sauna or pool, or in colder months, see if you can find some place to enjoy a fire, a warm blanket, soft pillows and cup of cocoa. Or whatever it is that floats your boat... as long as it's not something you do to create value, of any kind.
Don't answer the phone—better yet, turn it on silent, or off. Don't watch or read the news. Don't use the computer. Don't hop on the internet for "just one thing." Pretend you're on a desert island.
Force yourself to stay away from the normal tasks and chores you use to fill up time off.
Do it again the next day. And the next, if you can.
See how idle you can be.
When you can really get away.
If you can take a week or more off, so much the better.
The very best vacation is one that is physically away from your home and your workplace, physically distant from looking at things that will remind you of perceived obligations, no contact with the office, no email, nothing that will suck you in. Don't worry yourself with complex agendas. Don't try to do all that much. Just enjoy being someplace else, ideally where someone else makes up your bed every day and fluffs your pillows. Do one or two things a day and then just chill.
The longer you are on vacation, the more perspective you get. The feelings you normally silence about your job and daily life stuff, in order to function, start to unravel and surface. This will bring clarity and help you determine what you need to do to be happy and productive—in the way you want—in life.
If you're quiet, you can hear your gut speaking to you about what will make you happy. But first you have to find that quiet.
If you can't get away.
If you can't take a vacation right now because of job- or family-related constraints... first question if that's really true.
If you've got a day job, and you do at least a moderately good job or are even slightly important to the organization, ask for some additional time off. Tell them you're burnt out and just need a couple days to recupe. Or pitch it a different way, if you think that would suit the situation better. But do ask. Make a deal.
Don't give up. Taking care of yourself is incredibly important and nobody else will do it for you. Figure out a way to make it happen, even if only for a day or two of peace.
Remember that the leading reason that people don't receive raises, bonuses or extra vacation is because they don't ask. (Only a very few organizations think it's in their interest to hand these things over to employees.)
And keep it up every day.
Once you've experienced a real vacation, you'll notice how daily life is different. You can bring a little bit of the peace into every day, but it takes work.
Cut down on the external responsibilities you take on. See what tasks you can outsource or leave undone. Work shorter hours. Choose your projects very carefully. Start with less. Take plenty of breaks. Unwind, take a bath, read a trashy novel, go for a bicycle ride, take a yoga class, learn to knit, stare at the clouds (but wear sunglasses!).
Select just a few things to devote your time to. Don't fall into the trap of believing you have to work all the time to be productive. Don't let yourself slip into the habit of doing everything that comes across your desk.
These steps are all critical in preserving your most valuable resource and what is literally your most critical faculty.
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