The working life is not a sprint but a marathon. We’ll spend close to half of our lifetime in this stage, or at least most of us would bar early retirees and workaholics. There are different takes on how we can approach this race – some are proponents of running hard and fast right from the get-go while others prefer a consistent approach of even pacing.

Then in this age of millennials and whimsical travellers, there are those who put in just the right amount of work to earn their vacation expenses before they quit their jobs altogether and travel the world for months on end. But regardless of the approach, running non-stop without taking a water break or catching a breather is bound to result in burnouts.

Taking a break regularly puts you in good stead for the long run. It keeps you sane and gets your mind off work which is essential to mental wellness. For me, I like to take short-haul vacations half-yearly and find it one of the best defence against burnouts as they remove me from the environment entirely and give me the time and space to recharge properly.