One of my favorite ways to take a break is to lie on a hammock, so much so that, several years ago, I purchased a metal frame in order to set one up in my backyard. When I'm on it, gently swaying back and forth and looking up at the open sky and occasional passing birds, I can feel miles away from the items on my to-do list, as well as everything else for that matter. Ironically, when I'm on my hammock, I'm not really that far away from anything. It sits only a few steps from my backdoor, and once I'm settled into the hammock's worn rope, my butt rests, at most, about a quarter inch off the ground. It's close enough that I often wonder if I'll end up with grass stains on my back pockets. Still, the experience creates about as simple and pure a break as a break can get -- which causes me to wonder: Why don't I do it more often?
I've been curious to understand why so many of us are so awful at taking breaks. What is it about our cultural conditioning as adults that prevent us from stepping away from our seemingly-important tasks in order to briefly recharge? Certainly, we're presented with adequate opportunities to pause when we don't want to: red lights, traffic jams, lines at the grocery store and at the bank. For many of us, however, when given an opportunity to take a break at a time when a break would improve our energy level and our concentration, we don't do it. It becomes just too compelling to continue doing what we're doing. Maybe it also feels too difficult to change our momentum in order to pause -- or to recognize that some value might come from taking time to recharge.
I wish we could start a cultural movement to reclaim the power of the break. For starters, it might help to recognize that by definition, a break is supposed to happen between things, just as a page break is inserted right within a book's content. Possibly, we could reinvent the old-fashioned cigarette break -- stepping outside, taking in some fresh air, noticing our surroundings -- just without the smoking part. Or maybe we could approach it as a coffee break, sitting down for a few minutes and directing our attention to something different -- letting the caffeine and even the beverage be optional.
If I were to make up banners and flyers in support of the break movement, they'd have to speak to our tendencies to exhaust ourselves. They'd have to describe how easy it is to get lost in what we're doing and to continue on past a point that's really in our best interests, or even in the best interests of the project we're working on. Our doing, in and of itself, can create a desire for more doing, just as eating sugar creates a longing for more sugar, and getting irritated can cause us to escalate into more irritation. From this perspective, it's important that we practice taking breaks just to keep the habit fresh, so that we don't forget how to. Such practice offers a type of assurance that we'll have this skill set intact for when an opportunity arises to read a bedtime story to our child, or to notice the first blossoms of spring.
Taking breaks is a useful tool for those of us wanting to live more mindfully, because by taking time to recharge, we're often better able to bring our full presence into our day-to-day activities. A break can serve as a meditation bell of sorts, bringing our attention back into the moment and allowing us to return to our activities with a fresh start.
It's worth experimenting with what sorts of breaks work best for us -- whether they are short or long, inside or outside, at risk of causing grass stains or not... Reflect on what your version of a coffee break might be.
This article has been published with permission. Karen Horneffer Ginter is co-founder of the Center for Psychotherapy and Wellness and the author of 'Full Cup, Thirsty Spirit: Nourishing the Soul When Life’s Just Too Much'.
In creating my new garden I am setting up small areas where I can sit down and take a break - enjoy gazing at the view or appreciating the work I have completed
Your post is timely for me today ... a Saturday in which I need to clean house, get the shopping done, and catch up on things leftover from my work week ... when what I really want to do is lay out on a lounge chair in this Indian summer sun, soak up the rays, maybe read some good fiction, maybe doze for a few minutes. Ah, but why don't I let myself do just that?
We are inculturated (I'm sure that's a made-up word, but it says it what I mean) with the idea that taking a break is "lazy," "unproductive," or "selfish." Or maybe we think it's a luxury we "can't afford." So we push ourselves to get more and more and more done within our waking hours. Looking at the sky? Well, that's just pure wastefulness! Or perhaps we'll suffer for it later by rushing to catch up.
You've reminded me that life is about more than producing. So today, I'm going to take a break, look at the sky, and sigh. Reconnect with the outdoors. Thanks.
I totally support a movement to take more breaks. So many of us rush around mindlessly doing tasks until we don't even know why we're doing them to begin with.
Dan Garner
Http://ZenPresence.com
I once worked with a team who agreed to have FAB breaks instead of 'fag' breaks. They recognised the camaraderie of people who went to have a ciggie together but felt it was unfair that there was no equivalent for people who didn't have the smoking habit. They agreed a Fresh Air Break would work for them.
And maybe nowadays that's become a FB break (for social networking)?
On Oct 7, 2012 Kerrica wrote:
I love this article. It spoke volumes to me.
After I read bedtime stories to my 3-year old and before prayers, she always wants to go to the bathroom (even when she doesn't need to). It is probably a good thing but by that time of day, I am so ready for some alone time with my husband, that I tend to be a little impatient. Lately I've been doing my cat-cow breathing exercises (from yoga) while I wait for her. When she comes back, I'm doing downward dog and she crawls under my "tunnel", saying it's just like a carwash (we go to the drive-through kind). It makes me laugh every night and now it is something I look forward to instead of something that irritates me. Plus I think it makes her hurry, because she knows she has something to look forward to too. :)
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