I've neglected this one for a long time, and one ends up paying a price for it - even if you don't burn out because you've been there before and have learned to back paddle when you sense the first symptoms, it will affect your energy levels, drive, and productivity if you don't occasionally take a full day off, to regroup, and look inwards. There's a reason why it's a commandment in a lot of religions, and if you are religious, going to church may be a good start for the day to set the tone, and if you are not, find yourself another ritual that tells your body "today is the day off".
Some people don't like to look inwards for fear what they'll find - all those little things you've tried to repress crop up, fear may show up big time, if you've kept yourself busy to avoid it, and the body may let go of toxins that it has long held onto, which may give you a headache, aches and pains, and a general feeling of sluggishness.
Boy, that day off sounds really tempting now!
But all that means is that you've left it way too long!! You may be able to avoid all that even then by keeping busy with R&R and positive things - sports, shows, etc, and for some personality types that is recommended so they don't fall into a hole, but at some point, even that can get stressful - when researching "So you need a new job. Also called "Now What??! " I actually found out that there is a thing called "eustress" - it's positive stress, i. e. tension the body experiences due to positive experiences, and the surprising thing is that the paper I read suggested that physiologically, eustress can be just as bad for the body as destress (i.e. negative stress) - people just get over it better due to the psychological effect of positive experiences.
So, the body sometimes needs a break - a fast and a cleanse once or twice a year is great, but regular rest days can make sure that you don't accumulate a toxin factory inside in the meantime. And once you got the hang of it and ALLOW YOURSELF TO ENJOY WITHOUT BEING PRODUCTIVE, simply because it is fun, without the excuse of chemical depressants like alcohol, or drugs, or food, or the excuse of being sick (believe it or not, when I was a child I got sick with bad bronchitis once a year, and I actually enjoyed it - I finally had the excuse to have a break and allow myself to be cared for), then you will slowly wind down - and there is a quiet joy in that. It may be watching the kids play, the kitten's climb a tree or the birds fly, it may be through meditation or just enjoying the wind on your face - it feels wrong at first, and you feel you have to get up and do something, learn something, check an email, and then there's that thing you forgot doing, but if you just let it all go for a day - and just write down what you think you need to do - there comes a point where the world - suddenly opens.
And then ideas flow.
And you see things that you haven't seen in a while.
And you remember the joys of the past.
If you are at the sea, a salt bath will work wonders at that point. Or you may go to a spa, have a nice massage, and a sauna. Or you simply take a hot bath at home and put some salt and lavender in the water. If you have kids, get a sitter for a couple of hours to do that. Make it a date with your spouse or partner.
Maybe not everyone can do this every week, but everyone can do this regularly - if you cannot, it's because you lost productivity and efficiency because you didn't take a day off 😀.
Taking a day off isn't lazy. It's a necessity to stay healthy. Working through the year without stopping doesn't make us more but less productive. We all do it, but if you don't take countermeasures early, you, and possibly your family, may pay a price for it. Take a day off, become aware of what's running you, recharge your batteries, reorient yourself, and then address it next week!