Never know when to take breaks ?

Post Reply New Topic

I definitely have this problem. I've had to go to the ER or urgent care numerous times because I just would not stop doing something.

When my tendinitis flares up (every couple of weeks or so), it's often around the same time I'm in the mood to start drawing. Sometimes I will draw, sometimes not... but when I do start up... I don't just draw on small paper, I'll need to fill in an entire poster board sheet. The only time I will stop is if I'm messing up a LOT and get frustrated, or if my eyes are literally closing on me while I'm trying. So my arms will be aching and flared up-some of my fingers feel broken during it, but I still keep going until I'm finished with what I want to do. If it's painful enough, I will take a few minute breaks in between each thing I draw on the paper. I always regret it afterward, and have to wear braces on both of my hands for 2 weeks after I do it...

I've also injured my back numerous times moving furniture around. My boyfriend and mom will offer many times to come over and help, but the problem is I have to wait for them to get here to do anything, and that can be days or weeks at times before they have the time to help me move stuff like that around the house. So I'll get in the mood to do it and do it all by myself, knowing darn good and well I'm probably going to hurt myself, and knowing some of the stuff really is just too heavy to be moved by a single person... but I will do it anyway. Almost every time I move stuff around now, my boyfriend auto asks me if I'm going to need him to take me to the hospital the next day because it has happened so much.

I just can NOT stop myself once I start something like that, no matter what. I'm like that with little things too.

Once I cut my hand pretty badly while making dinner. I needed to go to the doc for sure and have them look at it... but instead of doing that right away, I wrapped up my hand, decided not to use it, and finished cooking. We all sat down and ate and everything before I went and got it looked at.

I even shake my head at myself sometimes because I can't even understand why I'm like that.

It's kind of funny because I have not been able to keep a job in so long due to being "weird", but people who know me well always say that is the kind of dedication a boss would want from their employee.

The Breaking point topic

I would never take breaks at work as I took so long to finish tasks that I needed the extra time to finish what i was doing. Supervisors would "write me up", even though I was a dedicated worker.

After a while i would lose the job, but I have a suspicion there was more to it than not taking breaks.

I tend to do that kind of thing too......I even resent having to pause while I wrap the towel round my hand And if I don't clean up the drops of blood immediately, they're harder to remove once they've dried. As you suggest, a lot of employers would be over the moon to get such a dedicated worker, and I suspect some of my employers have noticed that I don't desert my post without a damned good reason. I don't think it's true loyalty though. My brain just doesn't like curtailing a job till it's done. But it amounts to the same thing.

That's crazy

I mean, I get that they have restrictions and regulations and such that they are supposed to abide by... but how can they FORCE someone to take a break if that person simply doesn't want to take one? I guess they think someone could later complain if they were fired that they were never given breaks and all... but they could remedy that by having people sign something saying that they just don't want the breaks. They have to pay either way.

Oh I agree for sure. I really could care less whether or not I'm doing it for the company, and never think anything like "the boss is going to love me for this", lol. But instead it's just another "plan" or "schedule" in my mind that I MUST stick to. That is what I'm doing for that period of time during the day, and there is no time for other things as far as it is concerned it seems.

Well in all 3 examples I wrote in first post everyone else was taking breaks or stopping completely way before me. Maybe they weren't into it.

I think it is just in the way we think differently. When I make a plan to do something, that is what I'm doing for that amount of time.

For instance, when our family goes to the zoo... my boyfriend-his back starts hurting and he needs to take breaks frequently due to walking. But I get frustrated, because as far as I'm concerned, as long as we are sitting there or standing still, we are not doing what we are SUPPOSED to be doing. For me, at the zoo, we are supposed to be seeing animals from the time we get there to the time we leave pretty much. It irks me when we have to stop, because it is like a plan change-we are not doing what I have set in my mind and I have trouble dealing with that.

edit: I'm not sure if this counts or not, but I just realized I'm incredibly frustrated at the moment because I forgot it was Tuesday. I wanted to play World of Warcraft and farm up my whelpling today, but am not able (that will likely only make sense to those who play, lol). Last night that is what I decided I was going to do today... but it is maintenance day and I will be unable for another 5 hours or so most likely... grrrr.

Last edited by anxiety25 on 13 Oct 2009, 8:43 am, edited 1 time in total.

That is exactly what happens to me all the time. And I have a very hard time understanding why people would want to take breaks. It seems pretty clear that if your at the zoo it's to go see animals not sit down on a bench...

We should go to the zoo together some time It'd probably be the only time in my life I've actually gotten to see just about everything, lol, because people always want to stop and do this or that.

lol agreed, it always seems like if the coolest animals are the ones that I don't get to see.(because sitting on a bench was more important)

haha, yep. My son and I look for insects and things while people are sitting on the bench, or we look at the map and plan where to go next. I really like our new penguin house-it's super stinky, but neat to be in... it's open now. Like, 2 big aquariums on the sides with no lids on them-you get splashed by the penguins and everything, it's really neat. But we never seem to make it that far....

Getting injured is a totally 'nother beast altogther there. If I'm injured at work, I take a short time-out.

No sense hurting myself further, and making a worse experience for our customers.

I enjoy not taking breaks. Reading Deathly Hallows in 18 hours beating MGS4 at 3AM in the morning YA! I can get really focused on my interests.

Do you look at insects only because of your son or also out of personal interest ?


I read Deathly Hallows in one shot also lol. Still haven't tried MGS4 but I have beaten a few games in one shot. But how long is MGS4 ?

No, we look at them basically so that we can at least say we are looking for insects or some type of creature at all times while at the zoo He really isn't into bugs at all, nor am I. I like them from a distance, lol.