Don’t Be Ashamed Of Taking A Break
By: Jasmine Cisneros
Tags: Productivity, Life

Photo by Angelina Kichukova on Unsplash

There is a strange notion that everyone must always be busy. Faced with criticism if you’re “sitting around” not doing “anything.” We go through life on auto-pilot, with tunnel vision on our daily tasks. We fear if we stop, then we’re faced with undesirable consequences, so we keep pushing through no matter what. But truthfully, our bodies and minds are not designed to act like robots.

Your mind, body, and soul all require rest. Unless you’re in a hurry to your deathbed then by all means, but seriously, take a break, relax. Schedule some time to recharge, especially through difficult circumstances. If you don’t schedule downtime or time to process what you’re going through, then life will find a way to have the situation bubble back to the surface at a later time.

Self-care is essential and should not be frowned upon or delayed. It is something that needs to be embraced more. I mean, how healthy is it that the average American works Monday through Friday with only TWO days off each week. With a possibility of unexpected events that MUST be handled.

Meanwhile, still striving for a work-life balance. I mean, no wonder so many people are depressed. They neglect themselves trying to make sure everything is in control, and nothing in their life is jeopardized.

Disconnect for a while; you’ll always bounce back.

Photo by Victor on Unsplash

A while back, I created a plan of action for individual goals I would like to reach, and a mindset I would eventually like to adopt. I started to write; it was something that I discovered I loved doing. I began going to the gym, something that was a form of therapy. I started focusing on my health and taking specific vitamins.

Well, life threw in some unexpected circumstances, and unfortunately, I became unbalanced. I ended up back to square one, being inconsistent.

I wanted to give up altogether. I’ve always battled with being inconsistent toward my goals, and I felt like the time I created those goals, nothing was going to stop me. I was doing so good for 2–3 weeks, then stopped.

I became depressed, unmotivated, felt worthless, and didn’t find any meaning in what I did anymore. Fast forward a week and a half of disconnecting from the world, and just focusing on downtime. Sooner than later, I suddenly began to experience a spark, that inner drive, that life force inside of me again to go out and try again.

Maybe, all I needed was permission and compassion from myself. To not allow myself to feel bad for taking a break. Now, I can go ahead and hit that start button to continue my progress. That judgemental voice in my head suddenly became more sympathetic. Maybe just a quick break was all I needed to bounce back.

Ways To Take A Break

Photo by Simon Migaj on Unsplash

The ideal break would, of course, be taking time off and going on a retreat somewhere in Bali. But in the real world, not everyone has that luxury. You don’t have to spend money on a plane ticket or travel a far distance to take a break. You can do it right at home, and feel the same effect — Relief of mental pressure. Below are some ways that have helped me through tough times

Turning off social media notifications (decrease in anxiety) Spending Time In Nature Laying in bed all day watching a favorite show (no phone) Buying an inspirational or self-help book Breathing exercises and meditation Journaling Yoga or a free Yoga class trial Buy yourself fresh roses (has a healing effect) Buy an indoor plant Listen to motivational youtube videos or podcasts Learn a new skill Adult coloring book

Final Thoughts

Life is always a series of unforeseen events. If you need to take a step back and allow yourself the time to heal or rest, then it is ok. There are ways you can retreat from the world and immerse yourself into activities that can help you feel better while going through the motions. You will thank yourself for taking a step back and focusing on healing or whatever it may be.

You will make a stronger comeback.