Just last week I came across an article written by Paul Boag from Headscape aptly titled You Are Not A Machine. You Are Not Alone..
I really encourage you to read it. Paul discusses a silent struggle that many of us battle with on a daily basis: overworking, stressing, keeping to ourselves, bearing too much, the list goes on.
I agree with him that there is something wrong with the industry: we are expected to work 24/7 to just barely stay competitive. When this couldn’t be farther from the truth. We need time off, and it’s ok. It’s as simple as that.
Overworking, long hours, stressing and not having any means to vent is not only unproductive but very dangerous for our mental health. The current state of mind that we need to work all day, all week and be available via email, IM or whatever other means 24/7 is wrong.
We are only human, we need to disconnect. We need leisure. We need time to sit in our boxers and watch all of the ‘Friends’ re-runs from time to time. I’d like to end this post with my favorite paragraph from Paul’s article:
This post gives you permission. Permission to stop being a machine and become a human being. Permission to spend some days in your pants watching daytime TV rather than working. Permission to be honest about your fears and stresses. Permission to tell somebody you are struggling and get help.