It’s four o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon and you’re at work. You’re staring out
the window, willing the hours to tick by faster so that you can get home, ruing
the fact that it’s only Tuesday and that you have to live this same work day
three more times until the blissful arrival of the weekend—which inevitably
goes too quickly. Does this sound like you? If so, you might be in dire need of a
vacation.
Too long without a treat and our brains (and bodies) go into rebellion mode,
and instead of giving up on dreaming about Fiji Holidays or luxury cruises,
all we can do is obsess over them until we’re not getting any meaningful work
done anyway! While cost may be an issue, there are always small breaks you
can take or little changes you can make to help get your mojo back. Here are
five signs that you might need a vacation…
1. The Green-Eyed Monster
You know the feeling. Your co-worker announces happily that she’s off on her
long-awaited honeymoon in two weeks and instead of wishing her well you
secretly hope she gets bitten by mosquitoes the whole time because you’re
so jealous it isn’t you. Ditto your Facebook friend, who you have to delete
because of the envy-inducing travel pics he keeps posting in his profile.
2. The Short Attention Span
While you know you’re meant to be concentrating, tasks seem to take you
twice as long, and issues and projects that used to excite you at work suddenly
seem as interesting as watching paint dry.
3. The Daydream
Each time you get a deal in your inbox for cheap Vietnam hotels or last minute
flights to Hawaii, it’s all you can do to stop your fingers clicking the ‘buy’
button as you wistfully think about how great your new tee shirt would look
with a tan…
4. The Fatigue
You’re ridiculously tired. It doesn’t matter how early you get to bed or how
much Vitamin B you take, you just can’t seem to get on top of things. You feel
overwhelmed by your job and by the day-to-day tasks that make up your life.
Everything feels like work because you’ve reached your breaking point. You
find yourself wishing that life was a basketball game and you could just call a
time out!
5. The Restlessness
You’ve got what they call ‘itchy feet’. You want to plan something big, but you
don’t quite know what. The restlessness might display itself in strange ways,
like you not being able to get through a book properly, or constantly changing
your mind about things, or taking risks you wouldn’t usually take. It indicates
that you need a change of pace, and it’s important to listen to what you’re
being told!
Taking some time out every now and then is so important to your well being
and your physical and emotional health. As humans, we need some down
time, and it’s amazing what a short break can do for the psyche. It doesn’t
have to be an expensive trip away, it just needs to be something that breaks
your routine and gives you a chance to reconnect with yourself. If you’re
experiencing any of the above symptoms, it might be time for a rest.
