Took a Break

I am not good at taking breaks.

But this past week, I practiced.

In an effort to combat my burnout, I took a week off work and made a promise to myself that I would not go into my office (my second bedroom) to work on my computer for the whole week. It was really hard, but I managed to do it. I think my eyesight has taken a hit from doing everything on my iPad, but I stayed away from that room. I also didn’t check my work email or my work messages all week. That was so very hard for me. I usually check emails all the time because I don’t want to come back to 300 in my inbox, but it always adds a little stress when I read them and I was determined not to do that to myself this time around. I am kinda dreading my inbox when I go back right now, but I am not checking it until Monday morning.

I also got to spend three days in the mountains with my parents and it was great to get away from my house. It was the first time I had slept somewhere other than my own house since February 2020. It was very nice to get a change of scenery and to get out of the summer heat for a few days. (It has been so hot here this summer) I spent evenings on the patio, enjoying the cool air and reading a book. During the day, we hiked and explored the towns near where we were staying. We ate good food and just relaxed. It was very nice.

I came home and basically just continued the relaxing for the rest of the week. Long walks with the dog in the mornings. Reading books or doing crafty stuff in the afternoons.

I learned or re-discovered a few things that I want to share with you.

1. I am so very lucky to still have my parents around and I want to spend more time with them. I really don’t know how much time we have and it was so good to spend three days with them just enjoying the world.
2. I still am not a big hiker. I hate that I have to focus on my feet the whole time, especially in areas where the terrain is rough. I like to walk on flat things and enjoy the scenery. Also, I learned about the All Trails app, and it got us out of doing a 5 mile loop hike we were not prepared for when we took a wrong turn.
3. If I walk enough, I can eat more things that I like. We were averaging about 13K steps each day and I didn’t gain any weight, even though I was eating big meals and enjoying some treats like fudge and gelato.
4. I think I want to live in a more walkable area. We stayed in a very walkable town and didn’t take the car out at all while in town. (we did have to drive a town over for groceries) It was just really nice to have a good walk after a dinner out, or enjoying the morning air while going to breakfast. So, put that on the future want list for a house when I am ready for one.
5. I really love escaping into a book. I read 6 on this vacation. All shorter books (250-300 pages), but I still got through 6 of them. It is a nice way to just go be somewhere else for a while. And now, I am back on track for reading 40 books this year. 🙂
6. I need to go away every so often. I love my house and have no problem staying in it, but sometimes, it is good to change things up a bit. Seeing a different place and experiencing different things is good for me.

With all these things I have learned, I am going back to work with an updated perspective on how my work impacts the world, and hopefully, a little less burnout. I will be practicing taking breaks while I still work hard and working on remaining hopeful about all our futures.

I wish a good week for everyone. May you take many breaks to appreciate life!