Five Signs That You Need To Take A Step Back and Focus On Your Mental Health

Mental HealthMay 19, 2019

If you are a workaholic, you would probably try your best not to take leave from work. However, sometimes you need to listen to your body and request for at least a day off to give attention to your mental health. You need to break away from work-related stress occasionally; otherwise, you’ll be more likely to feel overwhelmed which might lead to major mental health disorders if left untreated. You probably never realized how badly you need that mental health day if you compulsively work long hours every day. Only 40 percent of Americans received treatment for their mental health issues last year, and there’s a good chance that you might be one of the many people who suffer from mental health issues. Here are five tell-tale signs that you immediately need a day off:

You Can’t Sleep Because You Are Exhausted

Overworking invariably leads to both physical and mental exhaustion. If you are severely exhausted, you may not be able to fall asleep as soon as you hit the sack. If you are suffering from sleeping disorders for quite some time now, it’s highly likely that your health has already been affected. The part of the human brain that interprets our feelings, impulses, and thoughts is heavily affected if we don’t get an adequate amount of sleep. You need at least 7-9 hours of sleep every night and this is non-negotiable. If you are an insomniac, try taking a day off from work to just sleep the whole day. This is how you can bolster your emotional and cognitive resources.

You Are Always Anxious

Anxiety may show up in the form of panic attacks, racing thoughts, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and abdominal discomfort. If you are not feeling well and you cannot go back to your usual good mood, you are badly in need of a mental breather. Try to spend quality time with your loved ones and take part in de-stressing activities such as yoga, massage, deep breathing, and meditation to trim down the anxiety. This would help you in increasing your efficiency once you return to your workplace.

You Cannot Focus On Your Work

If you cannot keep track of important things at work, you may just end up making silly mistakes which would increase your stress levels even more. If you can take a day off from work, you can possibly combat work-related stress, and this would help you in reorganizing your thoughts and sharpening your focus. To refocus on your work and career, you need to first focus on your mental well-being and take ample mental rest. This way, you can boost your morale. You can try practicing some mindfulness meditation when you take a day off from work.

You Easily Get Angry

Very few people can handle anger perfectly, and there’s nothing wrong in losing your cool from time to time. However, if you often get hit under the collar at the slightest provocation and your co-workers, friends, and family members have been complaining about your bad temper for quite some time now, you probably have serious anger issues. Try spending a day away from your computer screen and from all those pie charts and data sheets as this would help you in easing up the pressure. People who have anger issues feel restless, physically tense, and achy, which is an obvious sign that you are having trouble organizing your thoughts. Try taking a walk with a near and dear one or attend a yoga class to restore good temper.

You Often Fall Sick

If you easily fall sick these days, this could be a sign of your health paying the cost of a totally burnt out brain. Chronic colds and other types of illnesses are a signal that you need to slow down a bit. This is when you need to take a day’s holiday from your work. You may just change your diet plan or get some sleep to be on the path to better health again. Don’t just rely on multiple cups of coffee to work your way through a whole week. Caffeine would make you more lethargic over time.

Most Americans who love their work more than their family, friends, or hobbies get stressed out too soon. If you want to prevent burnout, go ahead and take a mental health day.