10 Signs You Need To Take A Break ASAP Or Are Going To Burn Out

Even when you give yourself permission to slow down and take a break, you're not fully relaxing. Half of your mind is still on your work. You are still checking your email. You are still trying to work out a problem in your head. You are still stressing yourself out. 

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1. You are tired all the time. It doesn’t matter if you slept nine hours last night. You have no energy this morning. The only thing you want to do is climb back in bed and forget about all of your problems — but then your work would pile up and pile up and you’d be even more stressed. The idea of taking a break never even occurs to you as a possibility.

2. You are having more trouble than usual concentrating. You’re also having more trouble remembering where you parked your car and whether you answered a text. Your thoughts keep drifting away in the middle of working. You keep losing track of your keys and your phone and your glasses. Your mind has not been functioning at its usual pace and you’re not sure what’s wrong with you.

3. You have been getting stressed out over the smallest, most inconsequential things. You have so much on your plate that whenever something extra gets added, you threaten to burst. Tasks as small and simple as sending an email can make you feel like you’re being asked to move mountains.

4. Your breaks aren’t really breaks at all. Even when you give yourself permission to slow down and take a break, you’re not fully relaxing. Half of your mind is still on your work. You are still checking your email. You are still trying to work out a problem in your head. You are still stressing yourself out.

5. You are exploding at your friends and family for no reason. You are snapping at people without meaning to hurt their feelings. You are suffering meltdowns that seemingly hit you out of the blue. You have been an emotional mess lately. You feel bad about it, but you can’t help it.

6. You have been isolating yourself. You cannot remember the last time you hung out with  your friends. You are always turning down plans because you have too much work to finish. Your social life has been put on the back-burner because your career is all you care about. 

7. You have been even more of a pessimist lately. You are worrying you are never going to reach success. You are worried you are never going to achieve your dreams, which convinces you to put more and more effort into your work.

8. You have been skipping meals. Maybe you’re skipping breakfast you feel like you don’t have enough spare time to cook. Or maybe your appetite has been dwindling due to the stress. Either way, it’s a sign something is seriously wrong.

9. You are making yourself sick. Your work has started to take a physical toll on you. You’re having trouble breathing. You’re experiencing chest pains. You’re feeling dizzy and faint and cannot get rid of your needling headache. It feels like you’re coming down with something, but really, it’s the stress.

10. You’ve stopped enjoying the things you used to love. You don’t wake up, excited about the day ahead of you anymore. Your work has been causing you more stress than happiness lately. You’re desperate to take a vacation, but for some reason, you keep forcing yourself to go and go and go… Thought Catalog Logo Mark