How to take a break to actually feel rested.

Are you in a country where strict rules are still imposed due to the dangers of this pandemic? And you’re already exhausted because of it? Even if people are literally suffering, we are still forced to do our obligations: to work or study. This is taking a toll on our mental health. This is why we should learn how to take a break and destress from time to time. 

In case you’re not part of this, yes, there’s still a lot of us who are suffering. It’s been over a year and it feels like it’s getting worse.  

Sometimes life can be too stressful and it becomes too overwhelming that you just want to quit everything and hide somewhere. Of course, this is not easy to do for most people because of their responsibilities. 

Life even became more stressful when the pandemic struck and we were forced to stay at home. There are no more boundaries between home and school or office. Now, we work where we should be resting. 

This stress definitely worsens our depression and anxiety. And the fact that we are isolated from others made this even so much harder.

To cope with this, let’s learn how to take a break from this chaotic situation. 

How to take a break wisely.

Taking a break should be easy, right? You just have to not do anything. 

But, there are actually some of us who do nothing but are still restless. There are many factors that contribute to this. The environment is one of the examples of this. If you’re taking a break in a place that causes you to stress out, then you wouldn’t be able to get some break. 

Especially now that we are in a very exhausting situation, we need to learn how to spend our break time wisely. And here’s how you can take a break:

1. Designate a break area in your place.

Since we won’t be able to just go out and unwind, we have to designate an area where we can just rest here. It’s like a sanctuary. In this area, we forget our worries, and absolutely, we don’t do any work in this area. 

This area can be in the garden or in the balcony, or even on the bed! We can drink our tea here, or write in our journal. We can also meditate here or sleep. Just anything that makes our soul happy.

2. Set a routine.

Having a routine can definitely help us not to worry too much! If we have a routine, we are in control of our time. Plus, we don’t have to think about what to do next because we already have that on our routine. 

One important thing to note here is that we should include taking a break in our routine. I know that some want to make it a habit to work as much as possible but it is not doable, and definitely not good for our health. 

By including a break in our routine, we won’t forget to do it. 

You might want to read this: Quarantine Routine Guide.

3. Set boundaries.

Working from home means we don’t have to wake up early so we won’t be late to work. It also means that we can work as much as we want. Sometimes, others take advantage of this and would send emails or call us outside of our working hours. If you don’t set boundaries, you would check the email and then worry about its content.

Working from home doesn’t mean we have to work all the time. We have to set a clear schedule on when to only do work. Outside this range of time should be our “me-time”.

4. Call your loved ones.

Social isolation can be detrimental to our mental health. Pre-pandemic, we were surrounded by our officemates or schoolmates. Whenever we got stressed out, we could go somewhere with them to have fun. This could be eating out, drinking, or just walking around. 

We can’t really do these at the moment. But, we can still bond with them through phone calls or video calls! Talking to people can lessen our loneliness. You might not feel lonely but maybe your friend is. Call your loved ones and check in with them. It will make a difference.

5. Enjoy a healthier hobby.

It is so easy to be sucked in by binging Netflix or watching TikTok videos. Your initial plan is to take a break for just 5 minutes. Hours later, you’re almost done with a series. 

These are definitely okay past times but if you are having a one-last-last-last-video problem, it’s time to look for other things to do during your break time. 

There are a lot of healthier hobbies that you can do! 

You might want to read this: Healthy Hobbies you should Try to Improve Life.

6. Go outside safely.

If there are places where you can safely roam around near your place like a park, then go out and enjoy the sun. Going outside can significantly improve your mood! Just make sure that you’re not in a crowded place and you’re good to go!

Take a break and enjoy life!

Taking a break is essential to a happy life. Without it, we’ll most likely live a miserable and unfulfilling life. What is the point of grinding our asses off when we can’t even enjoy life?  

Also, if we don’t take breaks, we’ll easily get burned out and lose motivation to achieve our goals. 

Taking a break also keeps us sane from whatever mess is happening around us. Sometimes, it is so tempting to just take a break from everything and go soul-searching. If you can afford to, go ahead! Your future self will surely thank you.

For those who feel guilty for taking breaks, don’t, okay? You’re doing what your body is asking you to do. So, take a deep breath and relax. That to-do-list can follow later 😉

Rooting for you,

Meredith Blaise