6/8/2021 4 Comments The Value of Taking a BreakIn today’s world, people typically go, go, go. I am one of those people. I often feel like I have so many things to do and not enough hours in the day to do them all. After a while, this can be mentally and physically draining. In fact, I am feeling some of that drain right now, and I am looking forward to the summer to have more down time. For right now, I want to discuss breaks and the value there is in taking one.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know I took a break from posting Real and Relatable content for about one month. While I very much enjoy posting, I came to realize that I needed to take a break because I was feeling overwhelmed with studying for my AP exams and my commitments to my youth group. It was difficult deciding to do this, but I ultimately decided that it was worth the short term sacrifice for the long term gain. What I mean by that is that I had to take a brief break from one of my commitments, knowing that I would be able to quickly return to what I enjoy doing, so I could focus on timely tasks I knew I would be glad I invested a lot of energy in and what would benefit me in the long run. Now, I am back to posting and it feels so good. Mental health and stress are things that are not always prioritized in society, but I encourage you to honor the signals your body is trying to tell you and take a break when you need it. This break can be from a wide variety of things - such as a friend group, a school club, a sports team, a social media account - whatever applies to you. These breaks might be needed if your friend group is not providing you with a happy environment at the moment, if you have a lot of school and family commitments, or if social media is wasting your time in a toxic manner, to name some examples. It can be difficult putting certain aspects of your life to the side, but I can guarantee it will be worth it. Taking a break could even give you a new burst of energy to tackle the thing from which you are taking a break once you return to it or to appreciate things in a new way. Plus, it has been proven that breaks relieve stress, increase productivity, and allow oneself to recuperate. Now, what should this break you may need to take look like? This may not be the answer that you are looking for: whatever you want and need! For me, my break from posting blog content consisted of putting my phone on do not disturb and fully committing to studying (not much of a break, I know, but it is what I knew I needed for myself). For another type of break I need in the future, it might consist of shutting off my computer and phone and enjoying a day in nature with my family. For someone else, it might consist of taking a month’s break from a club to focus on grades. For another person, a break could be deleting Snapchat for a month. Overall, breaks look different for different people, but they generally serve the same purpose. I encourage you to get in tune with your mental and physical health. Ask yourself this: Do I need a break? If so, honor it! You deserve it, and there is great value in giving yourself time off.
4 Comments
Marge
6/8/2021 09:35:54 pm
Loved this!! The hardest part is to admit that you need a break.
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Real and Relatable (Madeleine)
6/9/2021 11:04:13 am
I am so glad to hear you loved it! Thank you for reading and for your support.
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Zoe
6/9/2021 02:14:17 pm
I definitely relate to feeling super busy and like I have to “go, go, go!” all the time to keep up, but I’ve also found that I tend to get more done when I take breaks because I’m not as burnt out and I can actually give the things I have going on more attention, so thank you for this reminder!
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Real and Relatable (Madeleine)
6/9/2021 07:55:23 pm
I am glad that this topic was relatable to you and that the reminder was helpful! Taking breaks to avoid burnout is definitely something I need to work on more. I'm looking forward to a big break this summer, woohoo!
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AuthorLover of adventures, traveling, family time, fashion, soccer, writing, and more, Madeleine is giving you all the real and relatable content you have been looking for. Archives
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