Stress is just as damaging as sickness to your work performance, so why treat it like it isn’t? Your vacation and sick days are valuable, but not taking a day off when you need it can lead to bigger gaps in your work when you do end up needing that time.
So how do you know when your stress has gotten to the point where you need a day off? A lot of people won’t acknowledge it, but here are some tell-tale signs.
- You’re not digesting right. When I’m stressed, I know that everything I eat takes a toll on my stomach. I’m not alone here either: one study found that stress can change our gut bacteria, which makes some people more likely to experience GI problems. And it works the other way too. A different study found that those with GI disorders were more likely to be sufferers of chronic stress.
- You’re not sleeping. Stress makes it difficult to unwind, which makes what little sleep you do get less restful and makes you tired throughout the day. People who work too much have a harder time falling and staying asleep than those who aren’t, which is most likely because stress increases your fight or flight response. This means you’re feeling that tension even as you sleep.
- Things are slipping through the cracks. You’re expending so much energy on so much work that you’re bound to make mistakes. If you’re in a line of work where lives depend on it—say in construction, or in the medical community, this may be more dangerous than you think. While everyone makes mistakes, it’s better just to take the time you need than to increase your likelihood for workplace mistakes. So finish whatever you’re working on and take some time off, and you’ll come back refreshed.
- You’re in pain. You’re hunched over your desk, shoulders at your ears, tense and on edge constantly. You’re squinting at your screen and your head hurts all the time. And then you wonder why you’re hurting? Stress causes inflammatory reactions in the body and makes you more sensitive to pain.
- You’re cynical, and losing perspective. To put it simply, if your work is making you miserable and you’re wondering why you even wanted to work at your job at all, you need a break. Especially if this is a job you normally enjoy—you know that it’s not just that the job has become suddenly awful.
So take a step back and really, really relax. It may seem like there’s too much riding on your stress, but you’ll be a much more reliable, productive employee when you take some time for yourself.
How do you like to de-stress?
Photo Copyright © 2014 greerjasona/Flickr
