Pause

There are five common signs that you might need to take a break.

Have you ever had a job you absolutely loved – until, suddenly, you didn’t anymore? Sometimes the fun’s simply gone and the thought of another day at the office fills you with nothing but dread.

That’s a sign you might need a break.

Call it a pause. A pause is a moment of reflection during which you give yourself the time and space to get back in tune with your intuition. Once you do that, you can start planning changes that’ll put you on the road to a better, more authentic life.

But that comes later. First, you need to recognize that you need a time-out.

The two most common signs are hating your job and poor performance.

The author noticed these herself during her time as a support manager at Google.

At first, she found her work fulfilling, but, over time, she realized that she was feeling stuck. She struggled to get things done as quickly as she was expected to and checked out mentally during meetings. Overwhelmed and burned out, she lost all her enthusiasm.

Unsurprisingly, her performance suffered. Her boss tried to help her by offering constructive feedback, but she just couldn’t get back into the groove of things. Eventually, she was told that she wasn’t a good fit for her job. It was clear that she needed a pause – badly!

Poor performance and discontent are pretty definite indicators that taking a break might be a good idea. But they aren’t the only ones.

You should also pay attention to how you use technology.

Sure, the latest gadgets and gizmos are great, but overusing them is often a symptom of an underlying problem. If you notice that you’re glued to your devices and letting them get in the way of simple pleasures like a walk in the park or spending an evening with friends, you’re probably ready for a break.

Then there are big life changes that demand time and attention. If someone you love asks you for help during a tough period in her life, it’s not a bad idea to hit the pause button.

Finally, there are positive reasons for taking a pause. New opportunities that you’re interested in exploring – a job opening, for instance – fall under this category.

Look out for these signs and ask yourself whether a pause might be right for you.

If it is, now’s the time to start planning it. In the next blink, you’ll learn why understanding your yearnings is central to that process.