The Importance of taking a Break

Being too busy to take a break is a solid sign that you need to calm down and hit the pause button.

Sometimes in life, we become so overwhelmed by events that we become agitated, drained, and completely fatigued (both physically and mentally). As humans, we are prone to burning ourselves out with our busy lives and our drive to achieve so much; a drive that, if we are not careful, may push us to the point of weariness, which is why we need to take a break from life; especially when we are feeling depleted.

Have you ever been stymied by an issue, decided to take a break, and then discovered that the solution mysteriously appeared in a burst of inspiration? If so, be aware of the value of strategic breaks in refreshing your mind and allowing you to perceive a situation in a new light.

When we are feeling overwhelmed by the many things going on in our lives, it is absolutely necessary to just take a break and breathe for a moment; unfortunately, many people tend to ignore the necessity of taking a break because they feel like there is so much to achieve and that a break would just be a distraction (one they would rather avoid) that would not only hinder them from achieving their goals. But what most people seem to overlook (because of a lack of awareness) is how crucial taking breaks (and knowing WHEN to take them) is for our overall well-being. So let me give you 5 reasons to make you understand the importance of taking a break.

1) Breaks assist you in dealing with stress: Taking a break now and then is a very effective approach of managing stress since it allows you to relax and indulge in hobbies that offer you pleasure and assist to relieve tension while also enhancing your mental health.

2) “Movement breaks” are critical for your physical and mental well-being: The advantages of taking brief movement breaks have been thoroughly investigated. Constant sitting—whether at your desk, in front of the TV, or in a lecture hall—raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity. Getting up from your chair to walk, stretch, perform yoga, or do whatever exercise you enjoy can help to mitigate the harmful health impacts of prolonged sitting. A 5-minute stroll per hour can significantly improve your health and well-being.

3) It gives you the opportunity to discover yourself: Taking a break from things allows you to embark on a voyage of self-discovery in which you can learn more about yourself and what makes you happy while growing yourself and working on your character.

4) Taking a vacation helps to stimulate creativity: “Never taking a break from extremely rigorous thought work diminishes your ability to be creative,” says Kimberly Elsbach, a management professor at the University of California, Davis. “It kind of exhausts your cognitive capacity, and you are not able to generate the creative connections that you can when your brain is more rested. If you are skipping lunch in order to maintain a high level of cognitive function, you are probably not doing yourself any favors.” Allowing your brain to relax and recharge, much like an athlete would allow their body to rest after a race or training session, will replenish you for the next activity.

5)Taking breaks is important for self-care: Taking breaks from time to time allows you more time to care for yourself and focus on your own personal development, which is an important element of the self-care process. By making time to care for yourself, you are enhancing your connection with yourself, which is one of the most important (if not the most important) but most neglected relationships we have.

So there you have it, five good enough and convincing reasons why you should call a timeout and take a well-deserved break from life and all of its stresses. If the examples above are not enough to persuade you, I would like to point out that taking breaks not only helps you stay productive, but it also helps you enhance productivity. This is because many people work better when they are comfortable and not stressed.

So that is all I have got for today; I would love to hear your thoughts on this post in the comments section below.