One of the most common things my clients say to me when they’ve reached the point of burnout? “I ignored the early signs,” or “I just needed to push a little longer,” and then wondered, “why can’t I focus on work anymore?”
Because the reality is that burnout doesn’t just happen out of nowhere—it builds over time when stress accumulates, and we ignore the early signs of mental and emotional exhaustion. The repeated moments when you say no to seeing your friends. The saying yes to a few extra hours each day of work. You keep tackling the to-do list instead of pulling back and slowing down.
Why is it so hard for us to downshift? It might be tied to an internalized belief about self-worth and belonging. It might sound like, “If I work harder, then I am enough,” or “The more I produce, the more worthy I am.” These toxic beliefs lead people to downplay their normal need for breaks.
But your real superpower is recognizing when it’s time to pause. And because it’s been normalized to subscribe to hustle culture and “busy-ness,” sometimes creating new routines of pausing can be a healthy strategy to avoid burnout and exhaustion.
Here are five reasons to create intentional pauses in your work week.
1. Your brain is not meant for continuous focus
Our attention operates on a cycle—focused work, a break, and returning to focused work. Our brain can only sustain deep attention for 60 to 90 minutes. After that, your efficiency drops. When you push past your needed breaks, focus and productivity decrease. Breaks can be built-in for ten minutes throughout the day, but I also encourage people to completely unplug after work and find more joy and play outside of working hours.
Reframe: I am more productive during my day when I take time to recharge.
2. Your nervous system needs regulation
There are moments after a long day with clients where I feel frozen—like leaving the office is impossible. Not because I want to work more, but because my nervous system has shut down.
It’s important to see when your work—and how you work—impacts your nervous system. Because if you aren’t tuned into taking breaks, you might find yourself more irritable and reactive, or frozen and numb.
All nervous systems need pausing to support them to return to more regulated states of calm and connection. When we’re in a constant state of fight/flight/freeze/fawn, it’s impossible to connect and problem solve.
Reframe: When I take breaks during the week, my ability to regulate strengthens.
3. Regular breaks improve emotional regulation
Our ability to tolerate distress decreases when we push for longer hours and overwork. This is why emails end up feeling more triggering, feedback starts to feel more personal, and small annoyances can escalate quickly. When clients tell me they’re experiencing more frustration and annoyances at work, it’s usually a good indicator that they’ve been overworking or not balancing their own needs.
When you allow yourself to take breaks, you are ensuring there is more space between stimulus (the annoying sound your colleague made; the tenth email request) and response (your reply and reaction to your colleague).
Reframe: The only person who can control my emotional regulation is me. Taking breaks is a part of this.
4. Creativity and problem-solving require unplugging
There are two networks that you pull on from your brain: Task-Positive Network (focused work), and Default-Mode Network (reflection, insight, creativity). It’s impossible to access deeper insights or aha moments if you are constantly pushing in a Task-Positive Network mode. This is seen when some of our greatest ideas come from when we are in the shower, on a walk, or step away from the grind. Your Default-Mode Network is just as important for your work, and that requires you to rest and not be focused on the outside world. This is one of the reasons why spending a post-work evening at Thermea Spa Village Whitby could support you unplugging and enhancing your creativity.
Reframe: When I take breaks, I actually end up being more creative.
5. Protection against burnout and resentment
When we don’t take breaks, we end up feeling overextended, resentful, and like we’re always on. This doesn’t just stay at work, because that experience falls into your connection with loved ones, your overall patience, and general well-being. Finding small moments during the week to downshift is important for navigating that crispy feeling that can show up from overworking.
Reframe: I am allowed to care for myself even while holding my responsibilities.
Pausing Takes Courage
You weren’t meant to always be working. And you weren’t meant to delay taking breaks. It takes courage to pause. Resilience isn’t about always grinding and striving—it’s about being able to step away and care for your nervous system. Finding more frequent and intentional ways to pause, connect with yourself, and find meaning outside of work are important strategies for managing burnout and stress while building greater resilience.
About the Author
Dr. Tracy Dalgleish is a clinical psychologist, couples therapist, and sought-after relationship expert. She is the creator of Be Connected Digital, where she teaches people all over the world how to have healthy relationships. Her work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times, Forbes, and Time, and her research has appeared in peer-reviewed academic journals. Dr. Tracy is the author of You, Your Husband, and His Mother, and I Didn't Sign Up for This and the host of the top-100 parenting podcast Dear Dr. Tracy. The owner of Ottawa’s mental health clinic Integrated Wellness, she lives in Ottawa with her husband and two children.
