4 Surprising Warning Signs You Need a Vacation

4 Surprising Warning Signs You’re Overworked (and Need a Vacation)

The warning signs will come on slowly. Like a check engine light on your car, the indicators that you’re overworked will be cryptic, but impossible to ignore.

Burnout is dangerous ground to tread. Leave it unaddressed, and it’ll get worse, eventually impacting your health and well-being. So how do you know if you’re approaching burnout? Here are some warning signs to help catch stress symptoms early:

1. Disconnecting with Reality

Having trouble seeing what’s right in front of you? People who feel controlled by their job often become apathetic and detached from the world around them. If you find yourself missing out on life as your mind ruminates over endless work problems, it’s time for a break. Take a legit vacation. Not a long weekend when you mow the grass. A real, booked-in-advance, look forward to it for months, vacation.

2. Short Fuse

Have you started snapping at coworkers or innocent bystanders like baristas, servers, and family members? This is a sure sign you need to take a step back and re-evaluate. Find out what’s bothering you, and what you can do to decrease the frustration levels. Yes, you’re the one acting the part of the jerk, but misdirected anger simply points to a deeper issue. And it’s often one that’s easily solved.

3. Physical and Mental Impacts

You’re always tired. But when night falls, you have trouble sleeping. Or perhaps you have increasing difficulty concentrating at work. Maybe you’ve begun to dread the commute each day. Perhaps your typically high standards are lower, or you procrastinate on all your projects lately.

If you’re known as the go-to person for getting things done around the office, it’s time for an emotional check-in. You may feel indispensable, but it’s ultimately you who needs to take inventory of your needs. Especially when you’ve been putting in long hours or trying to meet impossible goals.

4. Stress that Just Won’t Go Away

Good work is great, but push yourself too hard, and you’ll start to lose that level of productivity that makes you a great worker. If you find you’re constantly operating at a high-stress level, it’s time to identify the source. Maybe you have trouble saying no to your boss, even when you want (or need) to. And there’s no better way to counter the tension than by taking a vacation.

Take some time off and head somewhere relaxing. Remove yourself from your stressful surroundings, unplug from the daily grind, and take it easy for a week. Get away to the tropics like St. Thomas and treat yourself to the sand, palm trees, and painkillers your tired body and mind need.

This article was originally posted on Sonic Charters St. Thomas Boat Rental