How to mentally take a day off?
“I’ll take a break, today, so I can focus tomorrow” she said, as she continued to think about her work and not able to enjoy her off-time.
How do we take breaks when we have a mountain of tasks over us? How to we come back to be more productive?
If you are physically exhausted, it’s pretty easy to take a day off and sleep it out, or do whatever that recharges you.
When we take a mental break, we often are still replaying the lists of tasks that we need to do in our brain. How do I even stop it?
Step 1: Write it out before the break
Let it out of your system.
i) Tasks: Before taking a break, jot down everything that your brain is thinking about. Make a list of to-dos. People you need to reply. Things you have to look over. Documentation you need to read before starting a task.
ii) Thoughts: Then write about everything you are feeling. “I don’t think I’ll do well in that test” or “I think that person didn’t appreciate my work”. Let out those thoughts and feeling that have built up till now. Talk it over with a friend (who listens!) or write it out.
Step 2: Schedule the next day after the break
So, you don’t have to think about what you’ll do tomorrow when the break is over. This is a super important step.
Plan your to-dos for the exact next day. You will feel 10x lighter if you know exactly what you will be doing tomorrow.
Step 3: Schedule the break
Why? So, you get to take absolutely no decisions on your break! Decisions take up a lot of brain effort, even if they are as small as deciding what to wear or eat, so plan it out like you will just be a Sim tomorrow living by the instructions of your yesterday self.
Make a list of activities that relax you, or things you want to do. Look into your hobbies. “So, tomorrow I’ll watch this movie on Netflix, hang out with these friends, and eat this”.
When you are taking a mental break, doing nothing might lead to just thinking about all the responsibilities. Plan out something. Do something, something fun.
Step 4: Book mark your thoughts about work
When you have a thought about your work task, write it on a post-it and move on.
It’s just a thought. You cannot control your thoughts from coming in, but you can control what you dwell on.
Don’t be hard on yourself. The fact that you are here to read how to do something as seemingly trivial as taking breaks means you recognize your problems and are trying to improve yourself. That’s great work! You are doing awesome even if you feel unproductive lately. Keep trying and you will get better at this! I’m trying here, too!
I hope you have a fun day and then gain your enthusiasm and productivity for the next day!
