Take a break in your day to remember the importance of taking a break!
I think it’s funny that we say the phrase “taking a break.” I feel as though we should use “brake” instead—as in "hit the brakes!" "Break "implies that we must go out of our way to literally break our routine in order to find time to take a break. While it’s true that sometimes we do have to make a conscious effort and go out of our way, I think we need to do some reframing of this phrase.
If “break” is an interruption, then “brake” is a pause. It’s the comma in the middle of a long sentence, a rest beat in a line of music. This is the kind of thing we need today. We don't necessarily need to stop everything, we just need to find times to hit the pause button so we can reset. Hitting the brakes for a moment, rather than breaking my day, is mindset a shift that I'm working on making.
But, of course, me getting all wordy and punny on you doesn’t mean I’m going to spell the acronym wrong. Let’s explore what taking a break should look like!
B
Breathe! Deep breaths are one of the simplest yet most effective ways to center ourselves in times of stress. Sometimes, we are so filled with anxiety or feel so busy that we convince ourselves that we don't have time to rest. (I'm guilty of this!) So, what can we do? We can do something that we do without even thinking about it: breathe. Take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. By deepening our breaths, we create just a little more space for mindfulness in our day.
R
Rest! Now some of you may be thinking: I don’t have time to take a nap. That’s okay! Resting isn’t the same as sleeping, it’s a means of recharging. While taking a nap is a great way to rest, it isn’t the only way. Some ways that I like to rest and recharge are listening to music, going on walks, or reading. I think the key to rest, however, is that you're doing it on by yourself. Yes, I am a firm believer that you can recharge in the presence of others, but I think we can only get to a full battery if we're on our own.
E
Evaluate the stress! It's incredibly important to recognize the root of the stress or business; if we don’t reevaluate when we’re pausing, then we’re going to get stuck in the same cycle of stress in which we currently find ourselves. Personally, I do this by talking someone through what I'm struggling with or stressed about. If you don't feel comfortable talking to someone, then I suggest writing it down so that way you can visually track the source. Only when we identify the problem can we make positive change in our lives.
A
Allow yourself to take a break! Friends, this is something that I need to be reminded of daily. Oftentimes, I convince myself that I need to work work work before I earn a break. While it is true that we shouldn't take a break all the time (there is most definitely work to do), we should still take them. It's not that we necessarily about earning them, it's about needing them. Give yourself permission to take a break.
K
Know what you need! Since we are ever-changing, dynamic people, our needs change too. Some days we need extra sleep, other days we need exercise, still other days we need quiet time to listen to music. Furthermore, our needs are different from the person sitting next to us. I want to encourage you to listen to what your body, mind, and soul need each day. It will help you know when to run or to rest, to chat or to be quiet, to work or to play.
BREAK!
This whole blog is preaching to the choir. Honestly, I’ve been struggling to be okay with taking breaks these past couple weeks. It feels "more productive" to go go go all the time, simply due to the fact that I feel busy. However, just because I feel busy doesn't mean I'm being productive—how can I be pouring out from an empty cup? Pausing during the day is actually incredibly productive (and healthy!) because it's time where we get ready for the next thing and recharge.
I wanted to conclude this post on a more personal note because, when writing blogs, it’s very easy to come across like my life is perfect. But I don’t want to write you from a place of appeared perfection, but honesty and relatability. We can work on taking healthy breaks as a community, and keeping one another accountable for taking those breaks. Make sure you're taking care of yourself!
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