Why You Need To Take A Break: The Myth And Science Of Pushing Yourself

May 22, 2023

Many of us are conditioned to push ourselves even harder when times get tough. Why would anyone even consider taking a break? Research says you should. Here鈥檚 some rationale and tips to help challenge the instinct to keep pushing through.

By Christian Sherwood | 3 minutes

These trying times seem a bit like the marvelous tales of mythology. The world as we know it is plagued by an unseen foe in the midst of a grand struggle. It feels like a modern Pandora鈥檚 box has opened, and we, the humble humans, are striving to keep our lives and livelihoods as uninterrupted as possible.

THE MYTH: "I CAN DO IT ALL."

Like Hercules and his 12 labors, we face new and unknown struggles at work and at home. Many of us tackled one of those beasts鈥攖aking on our kid鈥檚 education while adapting to remote work. It鈥檚 anyone鈥檚 guess what Herculean labor is next.

Yet many of us are more comfortable doubling down at work rather than taking a breather. We are betting on ourselves that, with perseverance and dedication, we will prevail! However, if you鈥檒l forgive the extended metaphor, this may be the Sisyphean effort that does more harm than good.

Even before the pandemic set in, our work ethic revolved around the construct that constant work and productivity鈥攂oth in and outside of work鈥攔esulted in a more defined sense of purpose and meaningful life. We made productivity a religion and used social media to amplify our busy-ness.

While many seem to thrive on this adrenaline rush, research shows this obsession with productivity can be a contributor to burnout and disappointment. (Read more about this 鈥渁ddiction鈥� .)

Couple the science of burnout with the disruption of a pandemic, and your world has become even more unsteady. There is no time like the present to think about work and productivity differently. It鈥檚 time to give ourselves鈥攁nd our staff鈥攑ermission to disconnect. To gain perspective.

THE SCIENCE: "NO YOU CAN'T."

Not sure what burnout or hyper-productivity looks like? tell us some signs of pushing ourselves too hard include not regularly taking time off work, staying connected at work rather than tuning into home life, and 鈥渟eeing your value as a person completely defined by work.鈥�

If these sound like you on a regular day, then the challenges of a pandemic may amplify them. It鈥檚 up to you to take the Minotaur by the horns and make a plan to avoid pushing yourself too far.

Long-term success is achieved by taking care of ourselves in the short-term. Three words (or letters): Paid time off (PTO). A 2017 survey revealed only

There are plenty of myths that might keep us from taking time off: saving for an unforeseen need, guilt for taking time off while your staff works, or disappointment for not taking a 鈥渞eal鈥� vacation. you are less productive when you push yourself too hard. Consider the alternatives:

Think about a modest break of two days off work rather than a long departure.
Set the example for your staff to take time, too. Feel confident while you鈥檙e away by learning to build bench strength through delegation.
Dispel disappointment and embrace a staycation鈥攂ut keep making plans for your dream vacay. You鈥檙e actually

Positive experiences aren鈥檛 the same when you鈥檙e burned-out. Duke 人妻中出视频鈥檚 resident burnout expert, Bryan Sexton, says that work fatigue reduces your ability to feel positive emotions, like happiness. To take it to the next level, this means all the hustle and bustle you think brings fulfillment could actually result in going 鈥渉appiness blind.鈥� Yikes!

And we鈥檙e not alone. Our staff could take cues from our persistence when a break would benefit them the most. Learn more about Dr. Sexton鈥檚 burnout research through his . He provides the science behind breaking the myth of pushing yourself too far. It will be worth your time.

THE REALITY: "I'M NOT SURE HOW TO DO THIS!"

If taking a few days off of work still feels like a Herculean effort, try applying a few leadership principles from Jess Rivera and plan to pause.

Leaders take care of their people. Take time to let your staff (and your boss) know what questions or requests they can expect while you鈥檙e out. We try to tie up the loose ends, but work continues while you鈥檙e out鈥攕o set you and your team up for success.

Set clear roles and responsibilities for who should manage certain tasks or questions.
Turn on your "out of office" message in Outlook and on your phone and provide the information for your back-up contact.

Demonstrate the standards you expect. Our staff take their cues from us. If you choose to check in everyday while 鈥渙n PTO,鈥� staff may not feel they can actually disconnect when it鈥檚 their turn to take time off. Set the example.

Tap into your inner Greek hero and accept your fate鈥攑lan to take a break!