How to take a break

Image by Anja from Pixabay

You’re having a fruitful day, you got a lot of important things done, the day is still early, and you feel quite proud of yourself. You decide to take a break. And of course you should; breaks are necessary. 

You go for something you really enjoy but have an inkling that it shifts your energy in the wrong direction pretty much every time you indulge, and you do it anyway. And then you decide to stream or scroll for a bit. Next thing you know, the rest of your day is shot, and your energy has completely shifted away from where it was earlier, the trajectory of your day now fully in the opposite direction of your desired experience.

Sometimes we seem to choose our break activities as if to say, phew! Those amazing hours that made me feel so good are finally over, I did it. I’ll take a break from that and slip into something more comfortable, like my old unwanted habits.

If you’re feeling like, yeah this is me, and it doesn’t feel good…

Start paying attention to what you do when you take your breaks. What you do informs what happens the rest of your day and whether or not you’ll be able to focus on, and enjoy, the important stuff that really matters to you.

Consider using your break to break through to your other pleasures...

...that, for some reason - but mostly for no reason - feel out of reach. 

Here are some examples

• Go for a walk outdoors. I know everyone says that, so I’m just going to start here and get it out of the way. But seriously. Go for a walk outside. You have time.  
• Talk, walk, or have lunch with a friend or someone new. Someone that will help your energy stay where you want it to stay, or even elevate it, after your timed talk. Timed, as in, this is a break, not a planned afternoon.  
• If you’ve been wanting to pick up your favorite instrument (or other hobby) that you haven’t touched in a while but have felt hard-pressed to find the time or motivation, pick it up during your break. Don’t question it. You don’t need the perfect setup or allot an hour to do it. Just visit it for 5 to 20 minutes. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Touch it. Put it down. You’d be surprised what that can do for you. 
• Listen to and curate a playlist of music that will help you focus, elevate your sense of self, make you smile, or compel you to dance. 
• Listen to a short podcast. One that will help your energy or focus to be where you want it to be after your break. 
• Take 5 to 20 minutes to organize a drawer, throw away a thing or two, or run one super-local errand. These may not sound like pleasures, but they take care of something you need to do in a short period of time and can allow for deeper dives into your work without having to come back from an entire afternoon of chores and traffic rendering you exhausted. 
• Take 5 to 20 minutes to meditate; get into downdog, shoulder stand, or twist; dance; check your plants; brush your dog; or journal. Your mind and body will thank you. 
• Plan out the rest of your day or week.

Checking in

Check in regularly to see what works for you to maintain your energy and focus. It’s tempting to default to snacking, scrolling, or eating in front of your computer. It’s tempting to walk or continue to organize your drawer much longer than planned. There’s a fine line, and you’ll want to check in with yourself to get enough space and nourishment to come back revitalized but not too much where you lose your motivation and ability to focus.

Choosing differently won’t seem right at first - but you’ll be grateful you did, because the alternative is, you’ll fall into old comfort-zone habits that may feel good for a brief moment but then take you down.

The above examples can help you to connect with the world around you differently, and in shorter time frames, which encourages intention & boundary setting, momentum, and presence. And it gives you many opportunities throughout the day to move about the world and play so that you can come back to your “work” truly revitalized. You’ll find that you won’t feel like you’re missing anything when you come back, and this makes it easier to hone in and bite-size the big things you’re working on.

Bite-sized means doable. Doable means you have the bandwidth and ability to act. Bandwidth and ability to act comes from an elevated sense of self and energy. And a little bit of practice.

Look at your breaks.

Love, Savitree