What To Do When You’re Overworking Yourself

Experiencing stress and overworking ourselves is inevitable for most of us, especially when we take on a lot of responsibilities in our professions or in school. You may have felt an overwhelming amount of stress after working for hours or have experienced burnout that prevents you from wanting to work for the next few weeks. In these cases, you may often neglect your emotional and physical well-being for the sake of your work. Working is good, but resting in between working hours is just as important. Here are five ways to rest and relax when you’re feeling overwhelmed with work:

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Stretch

Taking a minute to stand up from your desk to do stretching exercises is a quick way to reset your momentum. Sitting on a chair and hunched over your desk can be quite straining on your back, so it's good to take a few minutes to stretch your limbs and relieve some tension in your body. It can also improve your posture and reduce the fatigue in your body. You can find many stretching videos online to help you find the best routine that suits you!

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Take a power nap

For most people, taking power naps can restore their energy and clear their minds at times when they feel overworked. The ideal power nap lasts around 10 to 20 minutes. Some say that 30 minutes may be too long and can leave you feeling groggy instead of energized. Others say that an 80-minute nap is good if you’re looking for a longer option. This doesn’t mean you should be taking naps all the time, because this may hinder your productivity. Rather, take naps only when you think you need to and when you know you’ve accomplished a considerable amount of work.

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Enjoy some of your favorite foods

Aside from napping, eating is also a healthy way to take a break from working. Of course, when you eat, you want to be eating something you enjoy. Having a stale cracker or a cold pizza may not be the best breaktime meal (unless you’re into stale crackers and cold pizza, then be my guest!). Eating a good meal can not only give you some energy, but it can also put you in a good mood for the rest of the day, and may motivate you to continue working and relieve stress.

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Catch up on a TV series or start a new one

Working or finishing school requirements can be draining and a little boring if you don’t exactly enjoy them. One way to entertain yourself and distract you from monotonous tasks is to watch something on TV. Whether it’s an episode of Property Brothers on HGTV or a Netflix series, watching mindless entertainment can help your brain take a break and relax from all the thinking it has been doing for the last few hours. Once you’ve finished an episode, you can continue your work. Some people suggest using an episode of this show as a reward for hard work. For instance, if you finish a task, you can watch one episode of your favorite show.

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Spend time with the people you love

In times of stress, remember that you always have the people around you to help you with anything you need. Being with loved ones can be a natural stress reliever, so if you’re working too much, take some time to be with them. Whether you’re all enjoying a nice dinner or watching a movie together, it always helps to be with the people you care about.

We all have work to do, and it can sometimes take over our lives if we aren’t careful. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that rest is far more important than any work we have to accomplish. Never be afraid to rest! While some may think that resting can be spent on finishing other things, exhaustion may produce low-quality results. Our emotional and physical health depends on how we treat ourselves, so if we take care of our body and well-being, it will lead to more fruitful results!

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