Surveys show that more than half of all American workers have at least one unused paid day off. This means that hundreds of millions of vacation days remain unused and underutilized the United States workforce. Are we so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day to day that we forget to take time to rest?
Don’t wear yourself out and neglect your time off! Here are 5 signs that you need to stop what you’re doing and take a day for yourself.
1. You fall asleep during the day
So often people normalize fatigue as a routine part of their day. They nod off during meetings and begin to crash during lunch breaks. But you don’t have to follow this worn-out example of a hardworking person. The most productive work comes out of good rest, and healthy work habits reflect this idea. If you find yourself catching z’s when you’re supposed to be completing a task, you might be in need of a break.
2. You don’t have time to eat
Schedules can be overwhelming. To-do’s pile up and obligations fill every spare moment, pushing you into a frantic survival mode at work. It can be hard to remember simple daily functions, especially eating. At that point, taking time for a meal can feel like a distraction from workflow and a burden to your schedule. But being too busy to fuel your body for work is a concerning problem that indicates your need to clear your calendar.
3. You’re behind on daily chores
It’s normal to get distracted from normal life activities such as dishes, laundry, or errands. Work may pull you away from the routine of these daily chores, but it shouldn’t distract you completely. If you find your chores piling up, it may be necessary to take a day off so that you can catch up on these things.
4. You forget small things often
A busy mind is occupied with a variety of tasks, so it can be easy to forget things that aren’t urgent. Even though it doesn’t affect much in the short term, over a long period of time this forgetfulness can become debilitating in high-priority scenarios. It’s crucial to take time to clear your mind when this begins to happen, which is much easier to focus on during your vacation time.
5. You experience mood swings
Moodiness is an extreme inconvenience both to yourself and the people around you. It can cause you to make irrational decisions, as well as take out your frustrations on people that are not involved in the things that trigger such emotional reactions. Taking a day off to rest and recover can help you more effectively regulate your moods so that you can be a more pleasant and productive person.
