An IT job is often a high-pressure job. Tight schedules, releases, deadlines to meet. And all of this constant pressure can make you exhausted and irritable. You can start to make mistakes, snap at team or family members, which in turn can make the situation even worse.
And when this situation continues for a long time, burnout can even occur. And that’s the last thing you, your loved ones, or even your company wants. Pressure needs to be managed; health needs to be the priority, regardless of the project’s criticality.
Risks of Stress and Burnout
- Making mistakes – When you are constantly working in the same pressure environment for a long time, you deprive yourself of fresh thinking, and you could start to make unusual mistakes.
- Makes your behavior Irritable – The work pressure and health issues can make your mood low, and your behavior can become irritable with others, even when you don’t want that.
- Compromise your health – Long periods of stress and exhaustion can cause several health issues, some common ones are headaches, nausea, anxiety, feeling drained, high blood pressure, and gastrointestinal disorders.
- Lack of Motivation – The zeal to get the work done, the motivation, the drive, tapers off with constant pressure, and even small tasks look onerous rather than a regular affair.
- Strained Relationships – Your professional and personal relationships can also get strained if you don’t have time for them or your behavior is erratic. You could lose focus on the important things in your life, which could have long-term consequences.
No job or work is worth your health and your relationships. You need to be able to manage the stress and maintain your health so you can perform at your optimum and give your best to your job.
And one way of doing this is to take timely breaks as and when required. Often people think that taking a break in the middle of a project is not possible or things will stall if they are out of action, but all of those are just invalid reasons to deprive yourself the break that your mind and body truly needs. And the more you delay it, the worse it is going to get.
Benefits Of Taking A Break
- Reduced Stress – You can reduce stress levels once you are out of the pressure and stressful environment. A break can help you break the chain of work pressure, and you can restore yourself mentally and physically to a healthier you
- Clearer thinking – A well-rested mind can aid in clearer thinking. You can find solutions to personal and professional problems much faster. Your mind becomes sharper and can focus better.
- Increased Productivity – All of this can help you increase your productivity at work, at home, and you will feel more energetic and able to enjoy work and life.
- Attend to the important things and people in your life – Often, a break is essential to attend to the things that matter most in your life. Spending time with family, sharing in festivities, and being able to support others in times of need. These things keep you grounded and connected, which in turn makes life satisfying and fulfilling.
So if you’re feeling exhausted, your body is acting up, you’re unable to focus, your relationships are strained, all you may need is a break- a real break from work without being semi-present or feeling guilty about it.