I’m used to working many hours. Since moving out, I’ve been on the run, hurrying to new places and applying for new jobs. Some days, I worked for 12 hours straight, running a 6-hour morning shift at one job, then hopping over to the next.
I’ve become so accustomed to this l that I’ve never had a chance for a break. Even the word “vacation” sounded foreign to me.
However, my health took a toll.
Recently, I completed a summer internship at a university residence. I managed reservations, recording them in the hotel database, taking payments, and posting transactions. The job in itself seemed good enough – they paid decently, had flexible hours, and mostly just had me sitting in an office. All in all, it had better working conditions than my previous jobs.
But once my internship ended, I got sick. It started with a sore throat, and then a cough, which made it hard to juggle everyday tasks. I asked myself “Why?”
That’s when I found the issue – I was exhausted.
Although I had flexible hours for my internship, I always felt like I worked non-stop. My brain would not shut itself off from work, making me wonder whether or not I made a mistake. These thoughts bombarded me, leaving me with no energy to enjoy leisure activities.
Even when I went walking recently, I felt nauseous to the point of near collapse. But I kept asking myself, “Why do I feel this way?” Previously, I worked multiple jobs without needing to rest. But now, I’m just too tired to care.
Over the years, my tolerance limit has decreased. I thought I could work in the roughest conditions, but recently, that proved wrong. Over time, I wondered, “What is wrong with me? What am I doing wrong? And why am I less productive now than I was before?”
The reality is that we’re only human.
Even if we think we can juggle multiple tasks, we can’t always do that. We’re not built to work all the time because we’re not robots. No, we need to take a break to rejuvenate from work and other obligations.
Sometimes, it’s normal to feel exhausted, especially after a long and stressful day. it’s best to learn to take it easy for now. After all, why not save more energy for exciting things to come later?
Photo by Vladislav Muslakov on Unsplash
