Take a Break

We live in a society where we continually refer to our bodies as machines so that we can get more work done. Phrases like “food is fuel” and “recharging” in reference to resting are only some of the comments we unconsciously make about our bodies and they can affect our mental, emotional, and physical views of ourselves. Our world is very work-centered and productivity-minded. We are conditioned from an early age that the work we are supposed to do comes before what we want to do. Though this might be an effective mindset for the people who benefit from our work, where does this constant movement leave the individual? 

Personally, I tried that technique when I got to college because I thought it would help me become a better student, but I struggled so much. I still put off work and assignments even though I wasn’t allowing myself to have breaks. This mindset made me perpetually stressed and exhausted. It wasn’t until last year that I got tired of it and decided that I would take one entire day off from school, work, or anything that ‘had’ to be done. I chose to take off Sunday. It was my most lethargic day and also my most stressful day because that’s when I would need to get school work for the upcoming week done that I put off. My only main condition was that I had to get all of my work done between Monday and Saturday.

 

Initially, this singular condition was hard because I had to readjust my time-management and figure out how to plan out my week for this to work. I had to go through my syllabi, write everything out by due dates, and then make easily accessible to-do lists for when I needed to get started on certain assignments. I purposely made the to-do lists as full as possible with big and little tasks alike, so I would feel more productive and encouraged to keep going. This also meant that I could knock some things off or around if I was at my max for the day. It is honestly a little like magic how this was for me.

I anticipated being completely annoyed with being on top of my work and losing motivation for doing this, but y’all, it truly worked! Not only was I able to get all of my work done and take an entire Sunday off, but I also ended up getting better work out of it and easier weeks in general. Once I wasn’t procrastinating, I was able to put more time and thought into whatever I was working on. As soon as I got into the hang of things, I went a step further in my to-do list making and created and “Saturday Success” day where I write down everything I would like to get done for the upcoming week, and then get as much as I can accomplish so that my weekdays are even more open. This way, if I have a very stressful day or something, I don’t have to choose between my mental health or academic success! 

 

Our bodies aren’t machines to get work done, and our main purpose isn’t to be a productive citizen. Sometimes all we can do is exist for a moment at a time. Yes, we can accomplish extraordinary things, but if we forget that we make mistakes, have desires and interests, and get tired, we will always find ourselves disappointed in our lives. Yeah, there are some cases where it isn’t possible to take an entire day off, but the idea is still possible. Take a nap, get an extra drink, or leave work a little early. We just need to remember to respect ourselves, our bodies, and our minds so that we can keep them as long as possible for work and fun alike.

“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. . . Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us. ”

— Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now

 

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on summer’s day, list4ening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time”

— John Lubbock, The Use of Life

 

“The most valuable thing we can do for the psyche, occasionally, is to let it rest, wander, live in the changing light of the room, not try to be or do anything whatever”

— May Sarton

• mental health
• relax
• self-care