“An object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” – Newton’s First Law of Motion
Do you ever observe an object in motion, how it moves through the elements of its environment, and how it keeps going until it faces an unstoppable force? Let’s refer to this law of motion with people. Do you know someone who doesn’t seem to get much rest, who always pushes through to complete tasks or meet expectations, who also never seems to have time to sit and relax? Are you this person? You skip meals, don’t get enough rest, not drinking enough water, and surely not giving your body the attention it needs to recover from constant movement. Sound about right? When you don’t give yourself time to physically and mentally relax, you create stress for yourself and it just builds with the less attention you pay to yourself, then you may face an unstoppable force.
According to an article published in Forbes: Employee stress levels "have risen nearly 20% in three decades."
At a more personal level:
76% of respondents said workplace/business demands "had a negative impact on their personal relationships"
66% have lost sleep due to work-related demands
16% have quit jobs because stress became too overwhelming.
The article is more about people being overworked in a particular job and fearing failing, being replaced or fired. What I am referring to is being mindful of your health, knowing that you are doing a lot and also knowing when to STOP. Whether it is work, other business ventures, family, friends, anything that pulls you way from you, know when to hit the breaks to refocus on your health and well-being. Not stopping decreases the chances of being the BEST you.
Yes, some of us what to achieve so much, and we can, but we also need to decompress the demands of everything around us. Time is not kind to the world and the only way we can manipulate it is to make sure we are capable to function without avoiding warning signs that our bodies give off.
Another article on HealthLine.com talks about the 7 Red Flags You’re Working Too Much. The article mentions having daytime fatigue, feeling down, having body aches, etc. All of this adds congestion. We have to let our minds be free of demands. And speaking of feeling down, I can attest to that red flag. A few years ago, I faced this obstacle; it was mild. I was being pulled in different directions and was expected to be reliable to all those around me. At times I was asked to go beyond expectations to make others feel more comfortable, even though it put more stress on me and I would feel more strained if I didn't meet that expectation. I was always tired, I was interacting less with my friends, and I didn't have the energy to engage in activities with my kids. The worst part of it is that I was in denial...How could I feel this way? It's just a fluke, I'll get over it. There is nothing going wrong in my life. I refused to believe it was real and I further refused to accept seeking any form of relief. Eventually, I did and learned to separate myself from things that did not contribute to my good health. Even now, I can sense an imbalance coming on when I am consistently overwhelmed and feel trapped, but I have learned to better identify the causes and to better manage my time when juggling different projects and tasks.
Both articles mention the effects of personal relationships. Maintaining good health is not only important for productivity, it is also important for your personal relationships. Did you see the movie, Pretty Woman? Remember in the beginning, when Richard Gere's character comes across a woman who he once dated and their short conversation was about how busy he was during their relationship which led to their breakup. Yup, writers just don't pull erroneous thoughts out of a magic hat, they use realistic and relative story lines. Another movie is The Family Man with Nicholas Cage. Cage's character sacrificed his personal life to pursue his career which he became very successful, a wealthy bachelor with a lavish lifestyle and so forth, but he wakes up in an alternate life and realizes what he has been missing...family...friends...home...balance. This isn't only about the romantic connections, it's about all the connections you have with people, parents, siblings, children, close friends, etc. The more you work the more strain it can place on your personal affairs, especially when your loved ones see the effects it has on you.
It is easy to tell people to separate business and personal, but we only have one mind and even if we create file cabinets in our brains, our personal and our work files still overlap. Humans are not created to be alone. We need families, we need partnerships, we need comfort, we need support, we need interaction. We can allow certain relationships to suffer and there are some sacrifices worth taking but, which sacrifices will result in the most damage? Are we willing to accept that damage? These are questions only you can answer in correlation with what you want for yourself and your future.
The bigger question is, are you willing to allow YOU to suffer? You cannot be any good to work or personal relationships if you don't care for your own well being. It is not selfish, it's healthy. I am not encouraging you to go ahead and quit everything , I am advocating to better manage your time and include yourself in the equation.
Take a break. We can get too consumed with working and obtaining more that we lose focus on what else we need. We are much better to ourselves and those around us when we have a clear mind; get back to having enough rest, good diet, exercise, and "me time". If this means taking a leave of absence from your work life and personal life, then so be it. Are you not worth it to yourself? You want to achieve your goals right? You also what to enjoy the fruits of your labors, yes? Well, listen to your body and make sure it can continue to take you everywhere you want to go. Even cars will breakdown sooner if they are not properly maintained.
(Art installation by William Forsythe, "Choreographic Objects", for the Houston Fine Arts Museum.)