Mistake # 69: Die from lack of sleep and burnout

It’s so easy these days to burn out. With companies downsized to the bare bones, many employees are doing too much with too little. There is no way to catch up on work and deal with the piles and heaps on the desk, along with the pages of emails waiting to be tended to.

I, myself, have not had a vacation in ages. I define vacations as taking no work or no computer along, planting a chair in the sand on a beach (preferably in the Caribbean), a drink with an umbrella on it in the right hand, and a book in the left hand. There I sit for approximately eight hours. It’s hard work, but at the end of the day, there is always happy hour to look forward to.

The last real vacation I had was almost 14 years ago. In fact, I was reprimanded for not taking any vacation this year – three weeks total. Not one day. Why? Quite honestly, it just wasn’t possible. Actually, there’s no good time to take a vacation. So, I need a vacation and a week of sleep.

You can’t die from a loss of vacation, but can you die from lack of sleep? Slate posted an interesting article based on a study indicating that apparently you can.

It’s Sunday, I’m going back to bed, and taking a two-week vacation in June. Really!