If you feel like you need a break, take one

If you feel like you need a break, take oneIf you feel like you need a break, take oneYou recharge your phone when it runs out of juice. You refill your gas tank when youre running on empty.But sometimes, you forget to do the same for your most precious possession Your body (and the brain thats inside of it).Whether you love what you do, are in between jobs, or have a job you hate Youre working. Living is also a job. A pretty tough one, actually.Just the act of getting up in the morning can be a daunting task. And Im not even talking about all the responsibilities we have.So why do you make your life even mora challenging by not taking a vacation to recharge? Im not talking about your weekends that are packed with activities, or holidays where you do mora work than relax.No, that type of free time only costs energy. Im talking about resting with a very specific reason To recharge your battery so you can get back to living a productive life.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders ma gazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraRest reduces stress and improves productivity.Scientific research shows that a vacation decreases perceived job stress and burnout. Now, thats a pretty solid benefit of taking a few days off. But theres more.As you may know, Im always interested in productivity. In the case of resting or a vacation, my question isWill I get more things done when I get back?The answer is yes, but theres one major thing to keep in mind. But lets back up a bit What does it mean to get more done? Getting things done has nothing to do with time- if you work more hours, you dont necessarily get more done.In fact, research shows that working more hours general means less productivity.Why? Well, we often waste time if we have a lot of it. Its simple If I say to you, you have a year to write an article. What would you do? Put it off until tomorrow, right?But what if I tell you that you only have 2 hours? Youll prob ably get started right away. So in a way, having more days off, and fewer days to work, forces you to be more effective with your time.Research shows that a vacation in itself wont make you more productive, but when you have more days off, you have a strong desire to get more things done in less time.And thats a win-win situation for everybody You, your business, or your job.You take off a few days, recharge, spend time with your family or friends, and when you come back, youre more productive.Sounds great. But wait, theres a caveat.When your vacation is stressful, the positive benefits go away. So keep the stress at a minimum on your holiday. Otherwise, youve wasted a perfect opportunity to relax and boost your overall productivity.I recently felt I needed a break for several reasons. I had a few injuries that didnt seem to go away and had less energy. I could have powered through but instead, I decided to go on a vacation with my family. For a week, I did absolutely no work.Here a re a few tips that might help you to do the same on your next vacation.1. Do What You WantThere are no rules for taking vacations and everybody relaxes in a different way. If you like to plan your holiday, just do it. If you want to go with the flow, then do that.Want to wake up early? Do it. Dont like waking up early? Sleep in. Even if you go on a vacation with your partner, friends, or family, you dont have to be together 24/7. You can also sometimes do things that you enjoy.The key is to not have expectations on your vacation. Let go of everything. I also dont like to post vacation pictures on social media. Otherwise, Im constantly thinking about taking a cool picture so I can impress others.Youll probably even do things you wouldnt do just to take a picture. I really need to rent a jet ski so I can take a picture with it. No, you dont.Who cares? Focus on enjoying the moments you experience. Whatever those moments may be.2. ReadBill Gates is famous for his voracious reading habit . He is also known for his Think Week where does nothing else but read and think.You dont have to be Bill Gates to think about your life and career. We all have our daily, weekly, and monthly routines. Usually, routines and habits can work very well. However, you can also get stuck inside a loop.Thats why I recommend you step back from your daily life and career. If you do that, two things can happen When you step away, you miss your daily life and cant wait to pick up where you left off.Or, the opposite will happen. You dont want to go back. landsee that as a sign that you need to make a change. Either way, a break always serves a purpose. It doesnt only help you to recharge, it will also make you think.Thats why I like to read for hours on my vacation.3. Get BoredOne of my favorite strategies for finding new ideas is to get bored out of my mind. It sounds easier than it is because of distractions.In the past, I would do everything to NOT get bored Watch TV, go out, browse Facebook , etc. But did you know that you can use boredom to your advantage?Instead of giving into distractions, just give into the boredom and see it leads your mind to. In fact, one of my favorite artists of all time, Andy Warhol, embraced boredom. You can tell by the boring films he made or the references he made in The Philosophy Of Andy Warhol about getting bored.Whenever I hit a creative wall, I just do nothing. Literally, nothing. Try it sometime. Its a great strategy maybe you come up with the next best thing in your industry.Its never a good time to take a break.I just need to finish this project.My boss will never accept it.People will think Im lazy.I dont have time.My family needs me.Yeah, yeah, Ive been there too. But what would you rather Continue to work without resting and burn out? Or take some rest before youre tired?So before you use all those valid reasons to not take a break, think about what all the people in your life have to do if youre not here anymore. Yes, youre imp ortant. So take care of yourself. Take a break and come back with more energy.This article originally appeared on Darius Foroux.