Yes. That is today’s topic, mainly because I find myself desperately needing a break after this crazy month. I am sure many of you can relate to nearing the brink of insanity with too much work, too much networking, too much everything! Here are five surefire ways to know if you have hit a huge mental block:
- You lose track of what appointments you have, overlooking one appointment twice – I am sitting here feeling like the flakey person I abhor the most: I have made plans twice to talk with a wonderful connection from California, and both times I forgot about the call. I am not saying my burnt-out state is any excuse for missing my appointments; I would be surprised if this connection would still want to talk with me after my flakiness. Still, too much on one plate = unintentionally missed appointments…
- You forget what day of the week it is because you are constantly working – Another thing I am guilty of; I usually enjoy working on the weekends because there’s less noise coming through in my mailboxes. Still, this morning I woke up and thought it was Tuesday, when in fact it is Monday.
- You write emails to the wrong clients – HAS NOT happened to me, thank goodness (fingers crossed). Well, if you lose track of who all you are writing to, it is a sign that you are quite overwhelmed. Take a step back and breathe. This is also when being more organized would help.
- You sleep a whole day away accidentally – Yes, I actually did this yesterday: I slept a good, healthy eight hours from 10pm – 7am, but then I hit snooze and continued sleeping until 3:30pm. I thought I was well-rested, but I guess I was not at all if I slept so long.
- You cannot focus on the task at hand, even though there’s a deadline – Maybe you have worked so many hours that you have even forgotten about deadlines. Wait, that proposal was due this morning? Oops. Another deadline missed…
I am sure there are many other signs to be aware of, but really….if you see that any of this is starting to happen in your life, it may be time to think of a vacation, or a small break.
This week is the last week before my family is in town for our Easter vacation trip. I am determined to tie up as many loose ends as I can before next week so I will be available to fully enjoy time with my family. Besides, I have been pretty much going nonstop since mid-January. It is about time to take a break.