How To Disconnect From Work And Enjoy Your Downtime

Separate feelings from your identity.

Photo: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

Tell me if this sounds familiar.

• You work 8–10 hour days hunched over your laptop, hardly stopping for water or food.
• You go back to work after dinner to knock off “just a few more things” from your to-do list but then go to bed feeling restless.
• You then dream about work and sometimes wake up with nightmares about the day ahead or things you forgot to do.
• You spend your weekend trying to “catch up” on work instead of devoting time to family, self-care, or hobbies
• You feel guilty when you do indulge in well-deserved rest.
• You tell yourself you should be doing something more productive with your downtime.
• You don’t feel restored even after taking a few days off.

Do any of the above statements sound like you? Then you’re likely overworking and on a surefire path to burnout.

While giving yourself time to rest may seem like the most obvious way to resolve this exhaustion, taking breaks is easier said than done for many Sensitive Strivers.

Sensitive Strivers and the Vicious Cycle of Over-functioning