Is Your Body Telling You to Slow Down? 10 Potential Signs

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Learn how to listen to your body and prioritize rest when you need it

Co-authored by Mel Shipman and Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD

Last Updated: December 3, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Signs You Need Rest
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• Longterm Effects of Stress
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• Caring for Yourself
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• Video

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Whether you have specific goals to meet or you’re simply trying to keep up with a demanding schedule, feeling burnt out is not uncommon in this day and age. Sometimes, we tend to put too much value on productivity and fail to prioritize ourselves. If you’ve started to notice that stress is taking a toll on your health, we’ve compiled a list of ways to tell when your body is asking you to slow down. We’ve even included expert insights on how to take better care of yourself and your body from sports surgeons and life coaches.

Signs Your Body is Telling You to Slow Down

Feeling fatigued, moody, and unable to focus are signs you need to slow down. Other signs include brain fog, trouble sleeping, and headaches. Address these soon, as burnout can lead to chronic illnesses like heart disease, stroke, and depression. Take care of yourself, listen to your body's cues, and prioritize rest.

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Section 1 of 3:

Signs Your Body is Telling You to Rest

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   You feel tired all the time. Feeling fatigued is one of the telltale signs that you need to rest. This is the kind of tiredness that a few cups of coffee or energy drinks can’t fix. Take a personal day or two to unwind, relax, and catch up on sleep. Stress can tire you out just as much as physical activity, so don’t neglect rest just because you feel like you can push through a little longer. Your mind might be saying, “Yes, I can,” but your body is clearly saying, “No.”

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Rachel Eddins, M.Ed., LPC-S, is a licensed professional counselor with more than 20 years of experience specializing in eating disorders, anxiety and depression, and career obstacles.

   Mel Shipman is a certified life purpose and mindset coach with over 7 years of experience specializing in helping women leaders and entrepreneurs achieve their goals.

   Amber Rosenberg is a professional life coach with 20+ years of coaching experience and a background in corporations, tech companies, and nonprofits.

   Jonathan Frank, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and joint preservation. His practice focuses on minimally invasive surgeries.
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   You’re having problems sleeping. Stress is one of the leading causes of insomnia. A chaotic schedule, coupled with other personal and professional demands, can make anyone feel overstimulated and overwhelmed. At bedtime, all of these thoughts, concerns, and fears tend to run amok in our minds just as we’re supposed to be winding down. If this happens more often than not, you may be approaching burnout. Here are some things that can help:

   • Set a bedtime. The body likes having a set bedtime routine every night, so try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day—even on weekends!
   • Put away electronic devices. The blue light from your phone or laptop tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime, shutting down melatonin production. Put them away at least 30 minutes before bed to improve sleep quality.
   • Have a light snack. Milk, cherries, and nuts can all help induce sleep, since they contain calming chemicals like tryptophan, melatonin, and magnesium. A chamomile or lavender tea can also calm nerves and make you sleepy.
   • Practice meditation. Practicing meditation, or mindfulness, is all about experiencing the present moment, which can reduce sleep anxiety. Do this by closing your eyes in a comfortable position, and focus on the way your breath enters and leaves your body.
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   You’ve been getting sick more often. A malfunctioning immune system can reveal a lot. When you’re stressed and overworked, cortisol builds up in your blood. This buildup can lead to inflammation, eventually affecting your immune system and putting you at risk. If you’re catching colds more often than normal, it might be your body’s cue to rest and allow yourself time to heal.
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   You have digestive issues. Your gut may know that it’s time for you to slow down long before you do. It’s not just where your intuition lies—your gut feels all your stress, too. Large amounts of cortisol can interrupt digestion, potentially causing acid reflux, nausea, abdominal pain, and constipation. If nothing you eat sits right in your stomach, it’s time to take a break and sort yourself out.

   • Overwhelming stress can also lead to changes in appetite and harder-to-regulate blood sugar levels, which are other indicators of burnout.
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   You’ve been getting headaches. Getting headaches due to exhaustion makes sense—everything is stored up there, after all. When we’re stressed, the fight-or-flight response is often triggered in our brains, resulting in tension around the head and neck. This is a dead giveaway that you’re feeling overworked, even if you haven’t quite realized it yet.
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   You have aches and pains all over. Although this may be more common for people who are pushing themselves too much physically, it can also manifest in those who are working too hard generally. Stress can make muscles tense up over time, creating a buildup of lactic acid, which may cause aches and pains. These ailments, along with fatigue, can make you feel downright sick. To alleviate your symptoms, try any of the following:

   • If you’re working out to the point of exhaustion at the gym, take more rest days and stretch regularly.
   • Do a gentle yoga routine.
   • Take a warm bath with Epsom salt.
   • Consider getting a massage. This can loosen your muscles while relieving stress.
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   You’re experiencing brain fog, forgetfulness, and clumsiness. Brain fog can refer to a number of cognitive issues, from trouble concentrating to forgetfulness. If your brain is overloaded with ideas, obligations, and important dates, focusing on other things can be challenging. If you find yourself forgetting what you’re about to say, making mistakes at work, or feeling unmotivated, take a good, long break. Your brain will thank you.
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   You have mood swings. It’s no surprise that more stress usually equals more grumpiness. If you’ve got too much on your plate, it’s natural to be frustrated, irritable, and/or depressed. Your emotional bandwidth is low because your workload is high, leaving you down in the dumps. Kick the mood swings by spending time with those you love, enjoying a walk out in nature to recharge your batteries, or devoting some time to self-care.
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   Your relationships are suffering. Burnout can affect every aspect of your life, including your relationships. When you’re tired, stressed, and moody, keeping up with friends and loved ones can be quite a challenge. If you know—or you’ve been told—that your irritability and bad attitude are getting out of hand, it might be time for a hard-earned break. Remember: you can’t pour into anyone else’s cup until yours is full, so be sure to fill it. You can:

   • Take a weekend road trip with your significant other to reconnect.
   • Go to the spa with a friend or loved one and treat yourselves to a self-care date.
   • Return to an old, relaxing hobby that you and your partner used to do. This can be anything from going on long nature walks to taking a pottery class.
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    You’ve been using food or substances to cope. Instead of getting some much-needed rest, you might be trying to compensate by eating junk foods and partying a bit too much. People sometimes turn to alcohol, tobacco, and their less legal alternatives to help lessen those feelings of stress and anxiety. However, they are just more likely to become addicted to these substances and behaviors than they are to actually feel better.

    • We know how tempting ordering a pizza can be, but eliminating processed foods and opting for whole foods can help boost your energy, mood, and immune system. Pair foods that are rich in good fats, like salmon and avocados, with whole grains and leafy greens.
    • Limit your alcohol consumption. According to the World Health Organization, there is no “safe” amount when it comes to drinking alcohol. So, lower your weekly drinking as much as possible with your health in mind.
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Section 2 of 3:

What are the long-term effects of not taking a break?

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1. 
   Burnout and frequent stress can lead to chronic health issues. Licensed professional counselor Rachel Eddins, M.Ed., LPC-S, warns, “Burnout has recently become a mental health diagnosis; that is how serious the condition can be.” She notes that the known symptoms of burnout include “recurring headaches,” “weight gain or weight loss,” and “fatigue that doesn't let up with rest.” However, “cognitive failures,” like forgetting a name or intense irritability, can also be alarming.

   • These symptoms can turn into more serious health concerns, like chronic fatigue, heart disease, stroke, and depression. Additionally, a weakened immune system can also fall prey to disease or infection.
   • Moreover, emotional exhaustion affects personal and professional relationships. Jobs where people experience burnout have very high rates of dissatisfaction and turnover, resulting in frustration and instability.
   • In relationships, an emotionally exhausted partner is more likely to be irritable, unmotivated, and distant, often creating conflict.

Section 3 of 3:

How to Take Better Care of Yourself

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1. 
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   Listen to your body. Sports orthopedic surgeon Jonathan Frank, MD, says, “If you're having pain every time you try to do [an] activity, it suggests that you may be doing a little bit too much.” He adds that you should “listen to your body.” This means paying attention to the mental, emotional, and physical signals it’s sending you to prevent burnout and strengthen the mind-body connection. Practice listening to your body by doing the following:

   • Honor your hunger cues. Try eating slightly slower than usual, pausing to chew, swallow, and drink often. Try to tune in to hear when your brain and your stomach align, letting you know that you’re full.
   • Note the source of your pain. For example, if you’ve been running 10 miles a day while training for a marathon, you might notice sharp shin pain. Dr. Frank shares that this is a sign of “overtraining” and encourages you to adjust your training or take a breather.
   • Pay attention to your moods. Try to notice how your emotions change in response to certain people, situations, and energy. This can help you learn how to better regulate your moods in times of stress.
   • Check in with yourself. Life coach Amber Rosenberg, PCC, encourages you to ask yourself these questions: “What's the easiest thing I can do this week to slow down? What's the benefit and the cost? What can I do differently moving forward?”
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   Prioritize rest. Think of sleep as a short, nightly vacation for the body. Sleep is essential for recovery, healing, and regulating the immune system. In fact, research shows that people who have trouble sleeping are more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, and mental health conditions, like depression. Although quality of sleep is more important than quantity of sleep, aim for at least 7 hours of solid sleep every night.

   • For serious runners and gym-goers, 1-3 rest days a week is recommended. Rest is necessary for muscle repair, so if you’re not seeing the kind of results you’re looking for, the answer might be to take a break!
   • Taking an active rest day still allows you to go for a light walk, a quick swim, or a bike ride if you so choose.
   • If you’re experiencing tons of stress at work, take a long lunch break and/or a personal day. Rest is about managing your emotions as much as it is about taking a lie down.
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   Figure out what your energy budget is. Certified life purpose coach Mel Shipman shares the concept of an energy budget: “Most people treat their energy like credit, but you need to treat your energy budget like cash,” she begins. “Some days, you're going to have $100 in your wallet. Others, you're going to have $50 or $2 in your wallet. Your energy is the same way; it ebbs and flows,” she explains.

   • Essentially, if you have a high energy budget, you may feel super productive. A low energy budget may mean that it’s a good time for you to relax and “reflect” instead. Shipman reminds us that being successful isn’t always about doing “the heavy lifting.”
   • Shipman believes that figuring out your energy budget at the start of every day is a “really good way to manage how you spend your time.” She adds, “You have the power and the ability to choose differently,” and when it comes to treating yourself better, you probably should.
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