Well hello to you my reader chums! I'm going to whole heartily admit that I'm not good at resting or taking breaks, I find it hard to stop and enjoy the quiet and end up burning myself out. It's not in my nature to take things easy and look after myself, instead, I'm the person who is always doing 1000 things, working on many different projects, and having a full calendar as weirdly, I'm calmer that way. It's more me to be busy.

However, when the furlough kicked in during 2020 at the start of the pandemic, I realised, how important it was to step back and not overwork myself to the point that I wasn't okay and I would make myself unwell. It was then that I learnt, I needed to rest and take breaks more, and from that point, it has been something I've been working on.

Whether you're experiencing burnout, struggling with when the time is right to stop, or need some advice about a work-life balance, here is why you need to prioritise breaks.

It's good for your mental health

Burnout is real and in a world where we all work too many hours and want to be a big success, we often forget when to stop and how to stop. It's something I've struggled with dramatically as I often feel like a failure when I take the time out, need a longer break, or simply want to sleep. However, this is all healthy and normal. It's good for your mental health to be aware of the moment you need to press pause, take a step back, or limit what's on your plate. Your body will tell you in many different ways, whether that's physically by feeling run down, lack of concentration, or even when you're struggling to get to sleep. The indications of burnout will be there before you've even realised you overworked yourself or given yourself too many things to do in your week.

Your mental health needs to be a priority and that means learning the power of rest. Resting doesn't mean you've failed, it's charging you back up to feel a whole you again.

We're not built to work all the time

I feel like this point I need to regularly repeat to myself as I'm one of those people who have a normal marketing job, freelance work, and a separate business so I can sometimes struggle to allocate time to chill and rest, however, it's something I'm learning more every day. We're not built to work all the time. We don't work and then die, that's not what life is all about, and that's why flexible working or the shorter working week has come into play as people can do just as good of a job in shorter times or scattered throughout the week than in regimented hours. It's so, we can have more freedom and take ownership of our life back - rather than simply focusing our life on our career. Humans weren't created for this purpose, it's a world of capitalism that has enforced this workaholic mindset.

You owe it to yourself

You need to be your own number one fan and that means, being your biggest carer too, aiding your physical and mental health. You owe it to yourself to take a break, to have a nap, and to sleep as much as your body needs. You owe to yourself to have a day of nothing, have moments in your week where you can sit with yourself in peace and feel like you. You're so important and you shouldn't overwork yourself to a point where you don't feel like amazing you anymore.

Life is better when you're present in the moment

Life can be hectic, life can be busy but often when we're too busy working or doing things that life throws at us, we often forget to pause, slow down, and appreciate the moments. Taking those breaks will allow you the space and time to do that, whether that means going for a beach walk, sitting with your thoughts for an hour, or breathing in some fresh air. The little things do the world of good for our wellbeing, and by taking those 10 minutes every now and then, you'll be able to fully enjoy that.

It allows you the time to focus on the things that bring you joy

When you actually prioritise break time or the power of rest, you'll start to free up time where you can actually focus on the things that make you happy and make you feel alive. Whether that's chilling with your favourite TV show, getting out and about, being present in the moment with your pals, or delving into a good read. Whatever that thing is which makes your heart soar, managing your time and putting yourself first will give you the opportunity to spend more time doing what's right for you,

You'll be more productive

You can't focus or work when you're running on half empty. Like a phone battery, you need to recharge yourself so you feel 100% again and this comes with resting and practicing the art of getting it just right. By having the time to take a break or resting well, you'll find yourself working better and being more productive in everything you do, rather than dragging yourself through tasks when you're feeling about a 3 on the 1-10 scale.

Life is too short

This goes without saying, but in a pressurised society where were taught how 'normal' it is to stay busy at work and in our social lives, we forget how living the slow-paced way of life and not doing everything all the time, is actually really good for us - and we should practice it more often. Life is too short to keep experiencing burnout when your happiness and health should come first, always.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What other reasons do you have?

Thank you for reading <3