Regulating your own work schedule is an incredibly important part of being active and productive. Knowing what you need to do and doing them is just as important as knowing when to take a break so you can function at the best of your abilities.
I found an interesting post with a quote from Ernest Hemingway on the topic of writing:
The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day … you will never be stuck. Always stop while you are going good and don’t think about it or worry about it until you start to write the next day. That way your subconscious will work on it all the time. But if you think about it consciously or worry about it you will kill it and your brain will be tired before you start.
This is applicable to most tasks and work in general. And it brings to mind something I’ve heard from a Yoga instructor years ago. She told me that you have to have a reason to go back to the mat and do Yoga again.
If you over-exert yourself too much you’ll end up hating the practice of Yoga and will dread the thought of returning to the mat. It’ll become a chore and that’s the worst way to make sure that you develop a regular Yoga practice.
So people, know when to stop. Stop near the top. Give yourself some a reason to come back again.