You Deserve a Break

I am constantly surrounded by busy energy. I see overworked people, people who are obsessed with work and productivity, overwhelmed people, and underappreciated people. I see people who think that they aren’t good enough or aren’t doing enough. I see people who expect perfection from themselves. I see people who believe they don’t have enough time. I see people who don’t know how to relax. I feel some of this myself, too.

You know what I think? I think we all deserve a fucking break.

Society can be unforgiving and expect us to act like machines, but did you know that even machines need breaks? Power plants and chemical plants need outages to function properly. Roadways need to be shut down for improvements. Electrical distribution systems must take outages for maintenance and system repairs.

We also need breaks to rest and repair organs, retain memory, regulate hormones, increase our physical performance, and improve our mental well-being. What kind of breaks am I talking about? I refer to sleep, meditation, relaxing on the couch, exercising; whatever you like to do to put your mind at ease and reduce your stress levels.

Find balance.

I like to preach to everyone to find a healthy balance between your many focuses in life because it is something I strive for myself. I envision a scale that remains upright if centered and balanced. But if one side becomes quite heavy in comparison to the other, it tips until it topples over.

I imagine humans operate in the same way. In regards to constant productivity, we must balance it with rest or we might tip! We all have varying thresholds. I know people who can handle and balance a lot more stress and responsibilities than I can before I combust. Though we are all human, we’re all different, and that’s a really good thing. Only you can define your tipping point. When you feel the stress building, the overwhelming responsibility rising, and that suffocating feeling that sends your emotions off-balance, you know you need to upright your scale because it’s tilting dangerously to one side!

You are enough.

Let’s start with those who do not believe they are enough. No matter how much you pile on and attempt and complete, whether it’s work-related, personal, relationship-oriented, or anything else that requires effort, you simply don’t feel like you are doing enough.

Perhaps you’re a perfectionist, and if absolute perfection is not met, you’ve failed per your definition of failure. Perhaps you’re not receiving appreciation for all that you’re doing. Maybe you’re so overwhelmed that you can’t feel any emotion other than that throat-closing suffocation. 

Whatever seems to be the cause, let’s just push that aside. Focus on what is in your control in this situation. You have control of your feelings. Yes, you really do. Control starts with your thought patterns. And for what it is worth, know that I genuinely believe you are doing enough. I see you as a human who feels pain and experiences stress. I see that you have a threshold for your tolerance of stress, just like me, just like everyone else.

Turn off the comparison game.

Do you feel overwhelmed when you scroll through social media? Take a break from it.

Do you feel like you’re not doing as well as your co-worker? Understand you’re comparing an apple to an orange. You and your co-worker have different backgrounds, tolerances, and chemicals that make you each unique.

Do you feel like work continues to pile around you no matter how hard you work? Accept that you’re being dealt too much. Learn to take a step back, re-evaluate, and ask for a decrease in workload if you’ve reached your max. Asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of, by the way. Maintaining an image that you’ve got it all figured out when you’re actually drowning is fake and probably harmful to you.

Find proof of your accomplishments.

When you feel like a piece of shit, counteract the negative thoughts with some tangible proof. Look at your child as an example and know that you created that freaking human with your own body, love, and work. Check your Sent folder in your email and look at all the spreadsheets, articles, and problems you’ve solved and sent out to the world. Reread old messages and cards from people who love you and think you’re enough no matter what you tell yourself. There’s always proof that you are worthy and capable if you just look around for it.

Redefine your definition of failure if you’re constantly failing in your own mind.

What even is failure to you? I think complete and total failure is pretty difficult to achieve as long as you’re still living and breathing. When one door closes, another one opens. If you achieve one thing, it closes the door to another. There are always other routes to take. There is always, at the very least, a lesson to learn.

Make yourself believe that you deserve happiness, balance, and fulfillment.

Repeat after me: I deserve a break.

On the days you are feeling particularly incapable and undeserving, look at someone you love. You want the very best for them. You believe they deserve happiness, that they are absolutely enough and that they are doing just great. When you see someone you love feeling overwhelmed, overworked, or not enough, you believe that they deserve a break. Now extend that love and those well-wishes to yourself. You deserve the very same! You deserve rest. You deserve a break.

Taking breaks makes you stronger.

Breaks are for the weak, you say? You think you don’t have time for a break? Well, do you have time to sleep? You do because you would be dead if you didn’t. Breaks are for the strong.

Repeat after me: I need a break.

Studies show that the people who take time to meditate and maintain a healthy amount of sleep each night are generally more productive and happier. Reframe your mindset because the truth is taking breaks is actually productive. Your mind runs like a machine, but as I told you earlier, machines need rest too. Did you know that if power plants didn’t take regular outages for maintenance and repairs, they would quite literally explode?

It is pretty much guaranteed you’re going to feel more refreshed, emotionally balanced, creative, and productive if you allow yourself to decompress. You can always squeeze in some time throughout the day. Five minutes here, ten minutes there. Take an extra long poop at work if you must. I’m serious!

You are in control.

If you’ve gotten into the habit of work, productivity, and more work, and you’re not sure how to get out, don’t fret. Remember that you have some control! Have a conversation with your boss if you know there is too much on your plate at work. If you’re afraid of disappointing others or of appearing incapable, consider that the alternative to speaking up is continuing to slowly approach burnout and feel so stressed that your heart hurts.

You can determine what is most important to you. Aaaannddd from my perspective, your well-being comes first. You might have a family to feed, but you know people die from not taking care of themselves, right? You need to be alive in order to feed your family!

Taking breaks benefits other people, too.

If you’re constantly catering to others and neglecting your own needs, you are a pretty incredible person. But you matter just as much as the people you are bending over backward for. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself so you can better care for others. Take a break so you can enjoy your damn life!

Enjoy your damn life, I said… Do you enjoy your life? Are you running your life how you want to, or is life running you? If you’re being run into the ground and if you feel like your life is a bit out of your control, you probably need some space to breathe. Just try it. Do what you need to do to set aside some time in your week to take that well-deserved break. 

People always think they have to keep working or something is going to explode or someone is going to die. But that is not usually the case. Extremes aren’t common. The system will keep running even if you step away. The system will actually work better once you return because you’re going to be a more capable worker, caregiver, or whatever you are after you get that break. You are a creative and capable person. You can figure out a way to catch that break. I believe in you!

By the way, I watched the Disney movie Tangled and colored like a five-year-old this morning. I not only feel inspired to go watch the floating lights and grow my hair to the floor, but I am having a productive-ass day now that I’ve refreshed myself!

Mental Health Blog Disclaimer

I am not a medical professional, therapist, or mental healthcare professional. The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only, comes from my own personal experiences, and may be read, interpreted, and practiced at your own risk. Do not rely on this information as a substitute to medical advice or treatment from a healthcare professional.