5 Signs You Need a Career Break

By November 3, 2017For Talent

Let’s face it, we would all love to take a career break. We could spend a year learning how to bake bread in France or finally learn how to scuba dive in the Philipines. The idea is nice, isn’t it? But a career break is something that you shouldn’t take lightly.

Here are five signs that you should actually call it a day.

You feel constantly stressed

If you often feel short-tempered and irritable for no particular reason it might be time to examine your career. Chronic stress and fatigue can affect your physiological chemistry. Your body will, in turn, send more cortisol and less dopamine to your brain. Unfortunately, this can cause a vicious cycle that is hard to break away from. The only way to get out of the rut is to take a complete break.

You have no time for friends and family

If you can’t remember the last time you spoke to your parents or the last time you saw your best friend then you need to examine your life. Your career should never be your first priority (and this is coming from career experts).

If your career is affecting your relationships you need to take a step back. Taking a career break can give you time to repair those bonds. No one is going to stand up at your funeral and talk about your work attendance record. Make time for the things that really matter.

You start thinking about the weekend…on Monday

Don’t get us wrong, weekends are great but you should be able to enjoy your weekdays too. The average person spends 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime. Are you sure you want to waste all that time doing something that you dread?

Of course, sometimes work will be stressful and it might even get you down but if you’re constantly suppressed by your workload you should take a career break to examine your priorities.

Your health is deteriorating 

One of the most obvious signs that you need a career break is ill health. Working somewhere that you don’t like might not kill you but it can definitely undermine your health and well-being.

If your health is suffering take some time off to recover. It might also be a good time to reevaluate what you want to do with your career.

Your motivation is at an all-time low 

Maybe you were motivated once upon a time when you were a fresh new recruit but that time has come and gone. Now you’re basically on auto-pilot. You come into work, do the bare minimum and count down the hours until you can leave again.

That doesn’t mean you’re a lazy person it just means that you’re not doing something that you’re passionate about. A career break could help you find out exactly what that is.

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Author Alice Murray

Alice Murray is a Content Creator at Jobbio with a passion for Employer Branding and Graduate Culture. She's a keen traveller and a self-proclaimed lazy runner.

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