A few weeks into my first year of college, the combination of an unlimited meal plan and an hour of dead time before chapel led to the beginning of a fantastic tradition. Following the habits of the Hobbits of Tolkien, we began meeting after our morning classes to eat Second Breakfast. It started as a joke and blossomed into an indispensable ritual.

There’s something just a little magical about behaving like a Hobbit, even in the most basic sense. For just a few minutes, you escape the chaos of classes and work, of practice and rehearsal, to sit and drink tea and savor your meal. In the Tolkien universe, Hobbits are known for two things. The first is being very small and very sneaky, and the second is knowing how to live life in absolute comfort. Hobbits are experts at the good life, at taking things slowly and gently and staying in control, away from situations that cause panic. They avoid anything that might cause stress or hasty decisions, vying instead to stay calm, cool and collected indefinitely.

This sort of easygoing mindset is in stark contrast to everything we are taught, especially as Americans. We are brought up in a society which tells us that our worth as a person is measured almost entirely in the amount of capital we produce, in how much money our time is worth and how productive we are. We actively seek out stress because we feel it will bring us more success. Productivity is all good and fine, for the most part, but we have become a nation of chronic workaholics. We neglect our friends and families in favor of one more hour in the office, one more paper completed, one extra lap in the gym. There’s nothing wrong with pushing yourself and constantly striving for improvement, but I wonder where it ends. How far can we push ourselves before we crack under the stress? Where will our society end up, after everything is said and done and we’ve worked to the very limits of human ability?

Thinking this way can make you want to escape all society and become a recluse, if only to be safely tucked away when the inevitable breakdown hits. But we can’t just run away from our culture because it’s a little chaotic. All we can do is change our own behavior, and through changing ourselves, we change those around us. This is why I love Second Breakfast. In the midst of chaos, after an exam on a starkly cold Monday morning, I can have tea and a bagel and the best company in the world. I talk about my family and the edge of the universe, and get caught up on the lives of my friends. One of the best ways in our culture to build relationships with others is to share meals with them, therefore more meals lead to stronger ties. The aura of Second Breakfast is that of a quiet Sunday morning from my childhood, full of warmth and nostalgia. It’s a brief respite from the demands of the world to recharge and immerse myself in peace.

If you’re feeling frazzled, burnt out, or disconnected from your friends, I would highly encourage you to try something like Second Breakfast. It doesn’t have to be particularly long, it doesn’t even have to be completely work-free. Grab a hot drink and do your reading or write another paragraph for your essay. Meditate for ten minutes in the morning, watch the sunset, or just spend time being still. But do not bring the stress of society with you, except to release it among friends. You’re there to find quiet, contentment, and peace. Leave your worries at the door, just for a moment. I promise you won’t regret it.