You know you’re in dire need of a vacation when cancelled meetings and malfunctioned laptops make your day. There’s nothing you wouldn’t trade for a Sunday evening. But you love your job unlike most, and you wonder what went wrong.
Nothing, really. You are a normal human being is what it is. No happiest job in the world will make you happy if you are burning out, or you are too exhausted to give your best. Those who wrote “How to get a job you don’t need a vacation from” are probably still lounging in their Bahamas pool villas and it applies to everyone—All work and no play indeed makes Jack a dull boy. Perhaps you could use a nudge, so here you go. These sure-shot signs mean that you’re in dire need of a vacation.
5 signs that you’re in dire need of a vacation
Getting ready for work is a huge task
One bad day is fine, breaking the poor alarm clock for reminding you of work is not. For the 100th time, you are not “on the fence”. You’re so far past the fence that you can’t even see the fence! The fence is a dot to you! In short, you are your office’s Chandler Bing. Book a vacation already, it’s time to slow down in life. Come back and trust me, you’ll appreciate your job more.
It takes a huge effort for simple tasks—from writing a slack message to waiting your turn for the office coffee machine
You’d be a millionaire if you get a nickel every time you reply those 3 AM emails and make the client’s “one last change” after office hours. Pay attention, it won’t be long until you exhaust that last bit of energy you’re running on. When that 200-word writeup feels like climbing the Himalayas, stop writing and climb the actual Himalayas instead. Distancing for a short while will help you sort out your life and recalibrate your priorities.
You are either “too busy” or “too tired” for anything non-work related
You forgot your best friend’s engagement whom you recalled to be your best friend only when stumbling upon your old travel photos. And for your family? They are almost sure you shifted your home to the office. Laughing dryly? Not only do you need an urgent vacation to remind yourself there’s a world outside your office, but also to put your interpersonal relationships in serious perspective.
You hoard vacation leaves like toilet paper in the pandemic
In other words, you are among the 40% who feel “guilty about taking a vacation.” Recent surveys said that more than half of the new-gen workforce don’t use their allotted vacation leaves, and a good percentage of the other half are satisfied with a mere 7-10 days vacation. It’s not unreal, what they say is valid—A vacation when I’ve just joined the company? No way! The new project has just started, I can’t sit this out! I need to save some more. And the list goes on. But whether or not you think you need it, you need to distance yourself to see things clearly. You could never know what you were missing if you don’t take this call now.
If running from your health was a competition you’d be Usain Bolt
There is no good time than now to give self-care some serious thought. Don’t shy away from resorting to some wellness rituals if you are at home, or take a quick break close to your city to see what’s life like on the other side. If it’s not burnout, scrutinize your life more. But if it were exactly what you never knew you needed, time to make some alterations to your life so you never fall back into your old routine:)
Even a quick break could give you the answer you want. Heard about Staycations by PYT Deals?—jaw-dropping invite-only deals on top hotels and resorts close to your city with verified safety & hygiene standards. Sign up for heavily discounted deals, you can even travel later!
