The ability to relax is one of those that seems to be given to us from birth. But more often than not, what seems like a vacation is not really one. And a workaholic, even when on vacation, tries to occupy every hour and does not rest at all! How to learn to properly, truly relax? Learning to relax step by step First, you need to figure out what kind of workaholics there are. We usually call it this for those who are completely dedicated to their work. In fact, workaholics are divided into two types: non-stop: those who take on (often out of failure) several tasks at once and therefore are unable to complete at least one; inspired: those who happily take on things because they are busy with their favorite work, and often do not see the need for a break from what you love. And the first thing to do is to realize that in both cases there is only one way out: burnout, depression, health problems. What prevents us from resting, because it’s so simple? The main reason is that we think rest is not what it is. Why do we rest incorrectly? We haven’t been taught. Without seeing examples of relaxation in your family, you will not be able to understand what it is. This is not a vacation to go to the dacha to dig potatoes when you don’t have the strength, or sit on the couch in front of the TV after a week at the table and computer. There was no suitable environment. There were no prerequisites to take up any hobby, go to a section or circle. They convinced me that rest had to be earned. Parents formed guilt for the time spent in the game, convinced that rest is only a reward for a job well done. Underestimation of their interests. A negative assessment of your interests by your parents and peers has created shame for doing something that interests you. Inflated demands on leisure. Creating an image of a “correct” vacation leads to the fact that other types of recreation are devalued, and a person begins to feel guilty and ashamed for them. Inability to diversify recreation. Proper rest requires planning; it’s easier to use the usual method from year to year. Lack of balance between active and relaxing rest. Perceiving rest as the complete opposite of work, you strive to do everything and overload yourself even more. The two most important laws of proper rest are: noticing the need for rest in time and resting before you are truly tired. How to understand that it is time to rest High anxiety. Constant feeling of unfinished work, scrolling through work issues in your head before going to bed. High emotionality. Vivid negative emotions about small problems and people’s behavior. Increased moodiness. Decreased concentration. It's difficult to focus on one task. Attention constantly “jumps” to other activities. Decrease in creativity. Difficulty in solving logistics or intellectual problems, developing new methods and technologies. The need for solitude. No desire to communicate. Physical fatigue from any conversations, people. Need for compensation. Fatigue and stress are too actively compensated by your favorite hobby: an active life on social networks, long hours of training, cravings for alcohol and sweets. Constant illness. Stress, irregular daily routine and nutrition cause weakened immunity. The body does not have time to recover before it catches a new disease. Concentration on the negative. Constantly experiencing mistakes from the past, overestimating the consequences of your actions. Neglect of yourself. Skipping meals due to work pressure, canceling a doctor's visit due to a work task, postponing rest. Sleep disorders. Inability to relax and fall asleep due to thoughts about the experience. Waking up in the middle of the night with a feeling of anxiety. Prolonged apathy. Decreased emotionality, a feeling of slight sadness, lack of desire to move or do something. Constant fatigue. Difficulty waking up, feeling tired in the morning. Decreased performance and speed of movement. Recognize your right to rest and the fact that rest is only one of the phases of human activity. It restores resources spent on work, normalizes all processes in