If anyone else is anything like me, then you’re the type of person who must always be doing something productive and if you’re not, you tend to get in your head and feel a sense of guilt for not doing more. Often what happens is that I start to think about how I should be doing more and then I never truly relax because I’m so consumed by the thought of not being productive. This is not a break. But the truth is, a break, a needed break, is so beneficial and I’ve worked to overcome that barrier of feeling guilty for taking a break. Taking a break does not mean you are lazy; it simply means you are human.Â
A break is so crucial because it is what recharges both your social battery as well as your discipline and motivational levels. A break allows you to reorganize your thoughts and plan your time accordingly, so when you are reenergized, you can put your best foot forward at whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish. Your mind is clear, you’re able to produce work that is of good quality and value, and you’ve had time to think through everything. You often feel better, lighter, and more motivated to do your best. Even when it comes to studying, sometimes overdoing it is just as harmful as not doing enough. Once you feel comfortable with the information, it’s okay to take a step back and free your mind of added stress. Being a neuroscience major, we learn a lot about the stress cascade and how uncontrollable cortisol levels can affect the body in negatives ways. Learning to manage stress levels can potentially be what increases your lifespan. Cortisol levels that are out of control for extended periods of time can significantly make epigenetic changes to the body that are very challenging to undo. Â
Breaks are essential no matter what you are doing, and I often make a comparison to sports. If you continuously break down your muscles but never allow them the chance to rebuild, they will never grow. If you never get proper sleep, food, and rest days, the muscles never have the opportunity to grow into more mass. This is comparable to us as people. If we constantly go, go, go, and never slow down, we are breaking down our minds and never giving them a chance to rejuvenate. We are never fueling our bodies to reach their fullest potential and therefore limiting ourselves by thinking more is better, because more is not always better. Finding the inevitable balance is the key to a well-rounded, stress-free life. Â