You Need To Take A Break

Take Pen to Paper: Edition 126

Susan G.S. Abel

Feb 20, 2025

Hi, Take Pen to Paper Readers,

I hope your week has given you a nice break from my last musings.

A week is long enough to forget what the subject was.

I’m glad you’re back for another edition.

In this newsletter:

Breaks are magic.
The need for a break is real.
What a break can do.

A Secret of Adulthood

It’s time to take a break - there is a lot going on in your life, in the country, in the world.

It’s time to unplug and take a break.

Breaks are a temporary cure-all for a lot of what ails us. That’s the secret.

Breaks are miracle workers in bringing a reprieve to a challenging situation.

Have you ever seen a toddler before and after a nap? Yes, I’m talking that kind of miracle.

Breaks calm frazzled nerves so clear thinking can occur. They reset us physically and mentally for what we need to do. They give us time to think and reset.

We can use breaks strategically in all aspects of our life.

Breaks play a role in making us happier, even in difficult times.

The Need Sneaks Up On You

You have kids, a family, and a job. You are a member of a community.

Responsibilities abound.

However, life happens.

Real life has sick family members, employment stress, financial strain, and even world events. Yes, the country’s political climate and wars around the world can have a negative effect on our daily outlook.

A small temporary situation can surprise you with negative thoughts and feelings. The situation may involve you or someone you know. Maybe you are just a caring human, who worries about the world in which you live. The negativity can still creep in.

The need for a break creeps in with the negativity.

We are surrounded by a barrage of information waiting for us to consume it like a big piece of birthday cake.

Taking a break would be better than eating that birthday cake.

A Break Takes You Away

Breaks temporarily relieve you from the challenges you’re facing and renew your spirit to face them again.

Struggling with writing my newsletter happens more than I like. I know the topic. I know what I want to convey to my reader. Why won’t the words land on the page?

That’s when I walk away and leave it. Maybe for an hour, maybe for a day. I always come back and make it work.

A ten-minute break can be enough to reset your day. Take a walk with your child, take a nap, meditate, put your phone down, or stretch. These activities can fit into any day and help make it less stressful and more productive.

Breaks are an opportunity to turn inside to revisit your morals, ethics, gratitude, emotions, or anything that you hold inside that, in turn, affects your outside.

A brief break away from the barrage of negativity helps you:

consider other perspectives.
bring a moment of peace.
clarify a situation.
problem-solve.
generate questions, ideas, or opinions.

Your challenges may not go away. However, when you come back from your break, you will be refreshed and ready to face them. You may find it easier to decide what action, if any, you want to take.

Remember what I said above? “Breaks play a role in making us happier.”

We are each responsible for taking action to achieve happiness. Whatever actions you choose, they must include breaks.

You may be thinking, “How can I take a break now?”

With all of the benefits of a break, how can you not?

You have a contribution to make. You need to be in a mental and physical place to share it.

I just returned from a three-day break with my best girlfriends. It gave me an opportunity to unplug (what email and social media?), vent, gain perspective, walk a lot, learn, laugh, and be grateful.

I’m ready to face my world again.

7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good:

I am grateful for my journaling. It has played a role in helping me learn when I need to take a break. ✍️
Here are ten benefits of taking breaks.
Perhaps the most difficult thing about taking a break is our sense of urgency about our responsibilities. Take care of yourself first. 🤗
This short article has some tips on ensuring that you take your breaks.
It’s a good thing to make taking breaks a habit. You may be able to counteract or avoid some of the negative effects of your environment. 📆
Bored with your usual break activities? Check out these mini-break ideas.
You can do more good when you are your best self. Breaks can help you be that.

Thank you for reading. Do you make it a habit to take breaks from your daily stressors?

Until next time,

💚

Susan

What are your favorite ways to take breaks? Leave a comment and let me know. I would love to read about it.

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