A break from work? From home life? From routine? The benefits of a break – part Deux? Where is part one?
Some years back, when my boys were still part of the household, I wrote about the benefits of a break — consider that part one — especially important (it seems to me) when you are “doing it all” – working, raising kids, and doing it solo.
Then again, whatever the circumstances, sometimes we carry so much in our minds, our bodies, and on our shoulders that something needs to give. And we may need a break from ourselves, particularly if pushing back on issues we can’t (seem to) change is getting us nowhere.
For me that means “getting out of my head” in a way. Seeing more clearly. Seeing situations differently.
Over the past 10 days or so, I have taken a break, one I have taken before when the spirit whispered that I needed it. By that I mean a break from my routine, including writing.
Personally, I don’t need to travel anywhere in order to institute a break in routine, the purpose of which is to renew, refresh, and reset.
Now, that doesn’t mean that a bit of vacances on the Riviera wouldn’t be delicious. However, I simply need to change things up in my daily doings, focus on particular goals even if “simply” to unwind or be healthier in my self-care.
Easier said than done, right? But that is precisely what I have done.
Since I have issues with pain or more precisely pain management, that was a first focus: to reduce pain. Since I have issues with sleep or more precisely insufficient sleep, knowing the relationship between pain and sleep, that was also a focus: to improve my sleep. And finally, since I knew that improvements in both of those areas also depend on how I am eating, this last — my eating habits — was a third focus: to eat in healthier (more helpful to pain management) ways.
Should I be successful in any and all of these areas, I knew that I would be able to unwind.
Being a Type A, I have never been particularly skilled at relaxation, short of a week or two in France, that is. But… tough going though it was initially, let’s just say — I’ve managed my goal of giving myself a break in order to feel better physically (and therefore in every other way) – “renewing and refreshing.”
I will have more to say on all of this in a day or two. But for now, may I just say that a break from routine, be it your home life or your work life, offers tremendous benefits – reinvigorated excitement or pleasure at what the day holds, as well as mind and body readied to handle routine and problematic tasks with more ease.
When you’re relaxed, don’t you have greater clarity, calm and perspective to deal with people, processes, and challenges of all sorts? Aren’t you more able to savor the satisfactions that are within your grasp?
By the way, I’m feeling pretty good today! And I’ve been feeling so much better for a number of days now. That puts a smile on my face and makes me more able to function in the world and focus on others, rather than myself.
What about you? Have you given yourself any sort of break for a few days or longer? How do you “chill” with or without removing yourself from the quotidian? How do you carve out enough time for yourself to reset, re-group, or simply re-energize yourself when you’re rundown? Must you always leave home in order to do it?
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For me, removing my physical self (body, mind and spirit) from the environment
(a work environment, living environment or routine environment) is extremely helpful as I tend to be on the introvert spectrum, outside and inner quiet is necessary for me to recharge. Getting into a different space stops the ruminating in my self scripts. Rumination is the focused attention on the symptoms of one’s distress, and on its possible causes and consequences. By placing myself in another environment stops it as the immediate environment takes over my thoughts.
Once back into the environment that I temporarily left, that space has changed by time alone. My thoughts have too. Different perspective results; epiphany, Déjà Vu, or even premonition can now enter. That’s what happens with me.
I look forward to read what others do and what happens with them. I think that we all experience life a little differently than each other; and I believe sharing those experiences, thoughts and feelings benefits each of our beings.
When I was working, a break meant time spent reading, relaxing, hiking/cycling/skiing, sipping wine with dinner and NOT marking papers or preparing lesson, or doing admin for my job. I could do all that at home. But oh, it was so much more successful if we could get away for a few days. And now that I’m not working that’s the case as well. Even more so. If I’m at home, the piles of inherited “things” from both of our parents teetering in the basement beckon to me. The dusty corners that I have managed to avoid cleaning call out that I have no excuse for not being a perfect “housewife” now that work is done. All that early guilt training kicks in. I’m much better at avoiding what I don’t want to do guilt free if I don’t have to look at it every day. 🙂
So glad you are feeling a bit better. D.A. xo