So the last few days’ have been tough. Super tough. Lots of driving and travel. Debilitating tennis losses. Disagreements. A funeral. We’ve all been there. You’re running on fumes, your brain feels like a browser with 37 tabs open (and at least five of them are frozen), your computer crashes and takes important training with it and your to-do list looks like it’s auditioning for a Guinness World Record. Phew! Breathe.
In today’s world of constant and never ending demands, it can feel almost rebellious to pause. But guess what? Sometimes, the most powerful move you can make is to step back, catch your breath, recalibrate and just do, well nothing.
Here are five undeniable signs it’s time to take a break – no permission slip required.
1. You’re snapping at the dog, the barista and that sweet old lady crossing the street
If your patience has evaporated faster than a strawberries and cream at Wimbledon right now, it’s a sign your emotional reserves are empty. Irritability is often our nervous system’s way of waving a giant red flag. Before you unleash your inner dragon on unsuspecting loved ones (and even on non-loved ones), step away and give yourself some space to consider.
2. Your creativity has packed its bags and gone on vacation without you
Challenged to come up with ideas (no struggling here)? Staring blankly at your screen for hours? When your creativity starts ghosting you, it might be time to stop forcing it. Inspiration often returns when we allow ourselves to rest and experience something new (or nothing at all in my case).
3. Your body is sending you very clear messages
That headache that won’t quit. The weird tightness in your chest. The insomnia that calls at 3am. Your lethargy in halting you from doing the stuff you ordinarily love. Your body is wise and speaks up when your mind refuses to listen. Tune in before these gentle whispers turn into an all-out revolt.
4. You’re making mistakes you wouldn’t usually make
Forgetting meetings, sending emails to the wrong person, leaving your keys in the fridge or in my case forgetting random words – if you’re making errors that are uncharacteristic for you, it’s not just “being scatterbrained.” Your brain is begging for a timeout. Mistakes can be costly; rest isn’t.
5. You feel disconnected from what actually matters
When your days start to feel like one endless treadmill of tasks, it’s easy to lose sight of why you started in the first place. If you’re no longer feeling joy or meaning in your work or daily life, it’s a sign to pause, reflect and realign (love those “re” words). Sometimes, stepping away is exactly what brings us back home to ourselves. And a massage certainly helps.
Permission to pause
Taking a break isn’t a luxury nor is it laziness – it’s a necessity. Whether it’s a ten-minute walk, a weekend unplugged, lying on the couch watching You Tube documentaries or Wimbledon or a longer sabbatical (yes definitely a Day Spa), your mind, body and spirit will thank you.
Remember: stepping away doesn’t mean you’re giving in. It means you’re wise enough to know that rest is part of progress, not the opposite of it. It’s a speed bump not an off ramp.
Now go on – close that laptop (I actually did this for days’ – I can barely believe it myself), silence the notifications (a funeral kind of forces you to do that) and breathe. The world can and will wait (and it will still be there when you return, probably with fewer emails than you fear but there’s always the delete button).