I took a day off from work for the first time in 6 months. It was harder than I thought.

The author works 16 hours a day and noticed she was checking her email constantly, including at the gym and during dinner.

• I work 16 hours a day, and I couldn't remember the last time that I took a day off. 
• I have anxiety and need to always be doing something. 
• My therapist recommended taking a day off and doing nothing, and it was hard. 

Up until a few weeks ago, I couldn't remember the last time I took a break from work. As someone with anxiety, I always feel the need to work or be doing something. With that said, I'm very lucky to have a job that I absolutely love. 

I have the opportunity to write stories and test the latest products on a daily basis — I couldn't be any happier with my professional life thus far. But between writing, reporting, sending emails, testing products, and posting to social media, I work about 16 hours a day.

I hate to admit it, but I'll check my emails at the gym, as soon as I wake up in the morning, during dinner — pretty much all the time. At the moment, it doesn't feel like work, but more of something I "need" to do — it comes naturally and I don't really feel the effect of it until months later when I start to hit burnout. 

My therapist recommended I do nothing for a day

I mentioned to my therapist that I am always working, and she said I need to take a break. I promised her I'd take a day off to do absolutely nothing. You'd think that someone who works all the time would be excited to take a break, but I was the opposite. I was anxious because I had work to do, but she told me it was absolutely necessary to not work for at least a day. 

On my day off, I woke up at 9 a.m. and had no clue what to do with myself. Normally, I'd wake up and check my emails, but instead, I just stared at the wall. 

I texted my therapist in a frenzy, "What am I supposed to do? I'm literally staring at a wall." 

She wrote, "Nothing. Something you enjoy. Take it easy." 

Those words aren't in my vocabulary, so it definitely took some effort. It felt like work for me to do nothing.

I really needed this day

I just tried to let the day flow, because if I tried to come up with ideas it would end up being like work. I ate breakfast and found myself back in bed and fell asleep for another few hours — I guess I needed it. 

After I woke up, I worked out, showered, and read a book. I don't read, like, ever, so I was really grasping at straws to fill my time. I did end up watching a few hours of "RuPaul's Drag Race" and talking on the phone with my best friend for an hour, which was much needed. 

At the end of the day, it hit me that this time off was absolutely necessary. Although it was difficult, it made me realize that I need to take a step back from my work — regardless of how much I love it — and just listen to my body. 

My work isn't going anywhere, but the time I have to care for myself and fill my cup will definitely escape if I don't take the necessary steps to preserve it. 

While I saw the benefit of a day off firsthand, I can't say it's something I'll do often. I'm glad I tried it, because it gave me the permission I needed to put myself first. Hopefully, I'll get better at taking days off. I'm relatively new to the workforce, and if I don't get a grip on this now, I can't imagine how hard I'll hit burnout down the line. And frankly, I don't want to know.