Happy February! Wow, January lasted a while huh? I’m getting into the swing of things, and hopefully have some great posts coming up. I am two weeks away from finishing up my online courses and then I’ll finally set aside time for more content creating time. Content creation is seriously no joke! Going into this I thought, “Wow, this will be so easy! I’ll just take pictures and write about what I do in my day-to-day life”. But turns out, I don’t really have a very exciting life on a day-to-day basis. I like a routine, but with that routine I jam-pack as many things I can into my day. With the spirit of the “New Year, Better Me” in the air, I can only imagine that I’m not the only one trying to do THE MOST at all times. When I get excited about something, I go all in at once and burn out quickly. That’s why this blog post is stressing the importance of taking a damn break!
As you may recall from my last post, I was lucky enough to do a little staycation in Waikiki for a weekend. Although only minutes from my home, I was able to detach from my regular life and go on “vacay mode”. I didn’t have a break when I switched jobs, and I didn’t take a “real” break (longer than an extended weekend) since March 2020. Yes, I am grateful to have stayed employed during the pandemic that we are still in, but oh man I needed some type of break. The staycation was a gift from me, and you better believe I soaked in every penny of it. We ordered deliciously overpriced drinks as we lounged in the infinity pool, ate yummy food until we were waddling out the door, and did everything else on a whim. It was exactly what I needed. I went into Monday feeling so relaxed, and I honestly felt like I had 4 days off!
Taking a break from your regular day-to-day life has many positive affects! I can’t say how easy this is for parents, but even a short 30 minute break to spend to yourself may do wonders. According to Psychology Today, there are different types of breaks, and there are also many benefits to taking a break. Some benefits include:
- Physical and emotional health improvements from “movement breaks”
- Prevention of “decision fatigue” (which can lead to simplistic decision-making and procrastination)
- Restoring motivation (especially in long term goals)
- Increase in productivity and creativity due to less stress
- Improvement in learning and memory formation
There is also a difference between a “good break” and a “bad break”. A good break shifts your attention to another part of the brain other than the pre-frontal cortex, which is the “critical thinking” section. Some examples of good breaks are:
- Physical activity
- Connecting with nature and getting out in the sun
- Changing your environment
- Have a food break! (one of my favorite type of breaks)
- Meditate/take a few slow breaths
As we roll into February, I challenge you to take more breaks. Whether that be adding in a lap around the office/house in between work sessions, or actually using those accrued sick leaves or vacation days – I believe that everyone can use some type of break. Trust me, the work will still be there when you get back. The only difference is that you’ll be in a better mind-space to tackle it! Let’s keep the good momentum going through February. Until next time…
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