Ever wonder why there are so many rest areas on highways with so many "Take a break, rest and refresh" signs? Because long periods of driving without a break can kill you.
The same is true for work, social media, and toxic environments!
When you've been working too long
You damage yourself as well as your work by working long hours for a long time. And I have scientific research to back me on this. A study published by WHO in 2021 showed that working 55 or more hours a week killed 745 000 people from stroke and ischemic heart disease in 2016. We are not talking about burnouts here; we're talking about death.
Social Media and Dopamine Hits
Social media platforms that encourage likes and followers give us dopamine hits. But, do you know what else gives us similar dopamine hits? Opiates, alcohol, nicotine, amphetamines, and cocaine. No wonder we are physically turned on by our phones when we switch to social media apps.
Being constantly on dopamine hits creates the same effect as being constantly on drugs, and that's why taking a break from social media can give us withdrawal symptoms.
Marie-Claire Chappet
People who don't Give You Space
Toxic environments come in several ways. Family members who don't respect your privacy, time, and opinions. Friends and coworkers who keep using your stuff without asking. People around you who love gossip and drag you in, making you feel extremely uncomfortable. And let's not even count the politics behind your back.
Being in a toxic environment for too long can damage you in two ways.
- Making you a conformist, so you gradually lose yourself and become part of that toxicity.
- Keeping you constantly uncomfortable and detaching you from everything you wanted to connect with, leading you to shut everything out.
Let me quote Bryant McGill here (Author of Simple Reminders and Poet's Muse)
“Toxic relationships are dangerous to your health; they will literally kill you. Stress shortens your lifespan. Even a broken heart can kill you…Your arguments and hateful talk can land you in the emergency room or in the morgue. You were not meant to live in a fever of anxiety; screaming yourself hoarse in a frenzy of dreadful, panicked fight-or-flight that leaves you exhausted and numb with grief. You were not meant to live like animals tearing one another to shreds…For your own precious and beautiful life, and for those around you — seek help or get out before it is too late. This is your wake-up call!” --Bryant McGill
Oh no! What do I do?
Glad you asked!
Taking a break can be difficult for personal as well as social reasons. You might not be in a position to take a vacation, or put down your phone for a week, or go away from a toxic environment, so most of the advice available freely on the internet might not even apply to you. So here's something that DOES WORK!!
- Turn off all notifications for social media. People can contact you another way for emergencies.
- Don't use other apps and settings that lock you out of social media; not being able to access something makes you crave more for it. Instead, train your brain.
- Be inefficient at work if you absolutely cannot take a vacation. Your reputation at work is less important than your mental health. You can meditate in front of your work screen; it works for me.
- Learn something new, create yourself a personal website or blog, learn to code (another language if you already know how to code), create smart home and automation projects, start an online business, create an investment portfolio, and guess which ones I did and what worked for me.
- Learn from Trevor Noah about how to engage in debates and make people change their minds without offending them.
- Talk to people about your mental health. Let them know about things they do that are affecting your mental health. Trust me, it goes easier than you think.