Taking a Break
A reminder and maybe even a little encouragement to take a break.
Ever feel utterly exhausted? Physically, mentally, and/or emotionally drained?
You’re not alone!
People get tired. I get tired. And when we are tired, it is important to rest.
Seems obvious, I know, yet it can also be easier said than done.
Some of the best advice I’ve gotten as a writer is to write the book / article / poem / etc you needed, and let me tell you, I needed this reminder to take a break, and I write this because my younger self certainly needed to read this, and even my current self needs this reminder (though, I’m delighted to admit that this article has actually been automatically scheduled to go live today, and when it arrives in your inbox or pops up on your Substack app I will be offline, taking a break, on a true holiday / vacation).
All that aside, I remind myself, and share with you…
Taking a break doesn’t mean giving up.
It doesn’t mean we are weak or incapable or afraid. Rather, taking a break means we are aware of ourselves and aware of when we need to rest so that we can take care of ourselves. Taking a break is a strength. It means we are capable and courageous.
Is there an area of your life where you need a break?
Maybe it’s a workout routine you need a day off from. Or a work project that seems to be stuck. When we take a break from something that gives us space to rest and re-energize, so that when we come back to whatever it is we’re breaking from we are renewed and ready to move forward.
Improvising in life encourages acknowledging when we’re tired (ie saying ‘yes’) ‘and’ then doing something based on that reality. In this case, taking a break. We play the scene we’re in, and sometimes that scene is one that requires us to rest. We make the weird choice, a new choice, take a break, and if we need to, reframe that break as something important and necessary!
Your invitation, if you choose to accept it…
Today, this week, acknowledge an area of your life where you’d like a renewed sense of energy and focus around. And, then take a break from something it. Rather than spend that time on that area of your life, make a new choice, and do something that energizes you, be it going for a walk, drawing, or taking a long bubble bath. Whatever you take a break from will be there for you tomorrow, the next day, or the day after that.
See you on the flipside of my break ☺