I’m not sure how many people follow my blog or social media, but I’ve been doing a lot of the online hokey pokey recently (being in and out a lot) ! The reasons being, is that I am finally starting to listen to my mind, body and soul, I have started to take regular breaks from the internet and life in general! ABOUT TIME GIRL! I just know you all missed me, but I’m back now!

I reduced the days I would workout in the week, I took a break away from blogging and I had a chance to stay in bed until 8 (believe it or not, that’s a lie in for me… #mumlife)

As workloads accumulate and life becomes more demanding, you may not believe it, but this is the perfect time for you to take a break from ‘life’! You will feel much better for doing so, trust me.

How To Take A Break From Life

So how exactly do I go about taking breaks? It’s totally necessary to free up your schedule every once in a while and just do nothing, yes nothing. Now, it’s up to you how literal you decide to take that, but depending on your lifestyle, you can reduce the amount you do to the bare minimum… just for a little while at least.
Take a few days of annual leave from work, step away from your blog for a week or even cut out the extra curricular activities until you have had the chance to recover! Whether you take short breaks or long breaks, you will thank yourself for doing it at some point or another.

Listen To Your Body:

When you start to feel exhausted, it is important to listen to your body and give it the rest that it needs. It’s time to put your feet up and pamper yourself mentally and physically.
A few months back, I started suffering from severe headaches, fatigue, muscle soreness, frequent colds, the list just goes on and on. It was clear I was going through a burnout and I needed to take a break in order to feel like myself again.
That was when I decided to cut down on the things I was doing; I stopped working out as frequently as usual, I went to bed earlier every night and kept the stress inducing activities to an absolute minimum.

At first I felt as though I was being lazy, Homer Simpson level lazy; but had to constantly remind myself that this was for my health! I wasn’t being lazy, yet I was taking breaks so that I could feel alive again. Not only did I notice the positive impact on my physical health, but my mental health also. My mind became clearer and I was ready to tackle whatever life was going to throw at me next!

Signs You Are Going Through A Burnout

The term burnout refers to when you reach that point of emotional and physical exhaustion, I’m sure we have all been there. The stress you feel during a burnout may come from work or the general feeling of being overwhelmed by life! Signs you are going through a burnout may include:

• Feeling restless
• Difficulty sleeping
• Lack of motivation
• Finding it hard to remember the simple things
• Nothing is Enjoyable anymore

Remember, taking a break DOES NOT mean that you are lazy. In the long run, the more breaks you take, the more productive you will be- let me just delve into the importance of taking a break and how it benefits me…

Why It’s Important For Me To Take Regular Breaks:

1. Allows My Body and Mind To Recover

As someone who enjoys frequent exercise, on days when I choose not to workout or take a longer break from fitness, my body benefits massively. I was going through a period of time where I would workout hard, be a busy bee during the day and get less than 6 hours of sleep at night -my body was suffering!

Especially if I am going through a burnout, taking these breaks away will allow me to do things such as catch up on the sleep and rest that my body needs! Making sure you get enough rest will ensure that your immune can fully function properly and you can recover from your day.

Better Sleep

I noticed that when I took a break from the things that started to cause me unwanted stress, my sleep improved tremendously. I was no longer feeling restless and my body had time to relax and return to ‘normality’. I slept longer and my quality of sleep was immaculate so I can’t recommend this enough!

Related post: A Mama’s Guide on How To Sleep Better- 12 Fascinating Secrets

2. Gives Me An Opportunity To Spend More Time With Family And Friends

Especially as a stay at home mum, I can be very unmotivated to go out and spend time with others- just because I’m always tired. My days focus largely around my daughter and ensuring she has things to do, so in the little time I have left, I am either working or spending time on my hobbies.
When I take a break from my workloads and busy schedule, I have plenty more time to go out with friends and family. I no longer feel pressured to complete things before I can enjoy myself which is a breath of fresh air for certain!

Related post: A Day in The Life Of a Young Mum

3. I Am Able To Be More Productive/ Creative

Have you ever experienced brain fog? I personally get this all the time (24/7 pregnancy brain) and when it happens, I know it’s time for me to take a break. Just like I mentioned earlier, frequent breaks will lead to an increase in productivity and creativity! After a break, you are able to have a fresh outlook on everything, as well as spark new ideas! Breaks will help you re-focus and have a lot more energy to tackle the situations at hand, it is almost like you are recharged.
The majority of my most creative ideas come from times when I have taken breaks. Sometimes, time away is the ammunition your mind needs to work best!

Related post: 12 Motivational Quotes To Get You Inspired Today

4. Less Stress Overall

When I take regular breaks from the things causing me stress, I guess it’s pretty self explanatory to say that I am less stressed. But I find this also extends to other things such as parenting, relationships and more. I am much more easy going when my mind is clear; less snappy, more understanding… it’s like I’m a whole different person.
You may not realise when stress is effecting your performance or mood, there might be something stuck at the back of your mind and you won’t feel complete until it is sorted. That’s why I say a small amount of time out will help you progress. Then when you come back, be productive and watch your whole mood change!

Now you are aware of the importance of taking a break, will you do the same? Or even better, how often do you like to take breaks, do you prefer longer or shorter breaks? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you all!