It's no secret that modern life is hectic and filled with a never-ending stream of challenges, work, obligations and demands that sometimes leave us feeling breathless and exhausted.
Terms like being "stuck in the rat race" and "burning out" are ever more frequently heard, and even though we employ scores of different helping tools — from modern technology and fancy apps to energy drinks — we actually seem to have less time than ever.
Add to this that many companies offer fewer and fewer vacation days while demanding more and longer work days, and you end up with a recipe for a great deal of stress. Perhaps Covid is offering us a little bit of a break these days, but that's unlikely to be a situation that persists.
With so much clamoring for our attention, it's remarkably easy to get stuck in a rut, and we quickly forget the value of taking a "personal time out" so we can just sit still for a moment — or a day or a few weeks — to take stock of our lives and what is going on around us. In psychological terms, such times are also known as "breaking state," and it allows us to regroup and refocus our efforts and attention.
I find myself writing these words after realizing that I have not really "allowed myself" a day off probably since the New Year... and I'm self-employed. Yet, shrinking income due to the pandemic has sort of "forced" me to keep at it... or has it?
There is no set definition or time frame for taking a personal time out — it all depends on the individual situation.
We could be in the middle of a stressful project at work, with a tight deadline. But as the available time to complete the task grows shorter, it actually feels like our brain is slowing down. Although it may seem counterintuitive, often the best thing we can do for ourselves is to step away. Instead of giving in to the temptation to eat at our desk while trying to work, we're typically far better off doing something like grabbing our to-go lunch, finding a quiet spot outside (if the weather allows) and taking the time to sit down to eat our lunch while doing something "mindless" like simply watching the nearby birds.
I have found a long lunch break particularly healing when I have been working on a long and tedious editing job with a tight deadline looming.
Some of the greatest inspiration and insights typically come when I'm thinking about something completely different — and for those who might have a "working lunch" with co-workers, that would probably do far less to help your progress than spending 45 minutes alone.
Sometimes, what we need is an entire day off, maybe several; time to simply sit still and let our brains go slack.
A lot of people do take days off, of course, but often use those days to try to complete an almost impossibly large number of personal errands and housework... thereby largely defeating the entire purpose of taking a day "off;" essentially replacing one kind of hectic day with another. Sure, such an errand running day may leave us with a certain sense of accomplishment, but it's hardly relaxing, and doesn't really qualify as a true "mental health day."
So keep in mind that if you need a day off, it is important to truly make it a day OFF!
Unfortunately, western society and its culture has largely taught us that taking personal time "to think and reflect" is something that resembles laziness and admitting to the world that you have less than a perfect work ethic. This holds particularly true in the United States, where the amount of work you do is sometimes almost regarded as a "status symbol," with workers even engaging in "water cooler contests" over who logged the greatest number of overtime hours the previous month.
I'm glad I don't work in Corporate America anymore — and I only did so for a relatively short time — but even as a self-employed person I have to be really careful not to overwork, particularly when times are tough, as they currently are.
So yesterday was largely a down day for me... and it did me a lot of good. Now... where was I...?
Thanks for reading, and have a great Friday!
How about YOU? Do you pause to take "time away" from your usual routine, be it work or even your own daily routine? What did you last take a break? Give me a shout back... Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — NOT A CROSSPOST!!!)
Created at 20210304 23:30 PST
x118