Need a break? It's okay and here is why.

Need a break? 

Take one; it’s okay. 

If you already operate in a culture where this is the mindset, that is wonderful.

However if you’re in an environment that normalizes the ideas of sleepless 24/7 hustling, then maybe it’s worth repeating this a few more times: it’s okay to take a break, it’s okay to take a break, it’s okay to take a break. 

Here’s why: 

Rest is about recovery; there isn’t a single effective athlete on this planet that trains 24/7.

Rest is about preventing burnout. And in case you have any doubt about whether it’s a real thing or not, you can check with the World Health Organization who in 2019 added burnout to its International Classification of Diseases list. 

Rest is also about growth. As Brad Stulberg of Peak Performance puts it: ‘Stress + Rest = Growth’. Rest is half the equation — a key part to learning and developing. There is nothing lazy about rest. 

Realizing you need a break isn’t about failure, it’s about meeting your needs as a human so you can flourish and be helpful to others. 

If you’re worried about the work that needs to be done, remember that there will always be work that needs to be done. 

If you’re worried about your growing queue of e-mails, remember that you are not a robot and nobody is really expecting you to follow up within the first minute of sending a message. 

Consider how you’re feeling now and remember: when it comes to showing up for the work & the people you care about, it is just as important to give yourself rest when you know you need it as it is to know when it’s time to get to work.