If you ask anyone who knows me about how they would describe me, the first thing anyone would say is that I'm busy. All the time. And if you asked me about myself I would agree that I'm constantly busy but I would just as quickly defend my busy-ness by telling you that I thrive at this level of chaos and that my love for this madness has influenced every aspect of my life-- from campus involvement to my future career.
I love my life. I love every second of every crazy, exhausting, chaotic day. But, once in awhile, I just need a break. I need to get away from my life for a minute. And that's okay! It's okay to be completely, utterly in love with everything that you do but still need time to step back and take a break from your entire life.
This past Monday, I went to one class in the morning and then I decided to take a personal day. I drove 250 miles, stopped at four different beaches and six different cities and ended up in San Francisco. I bought myself dinner and walked around the streets and the gardens until the time came that I felt I was ready to go home and go back into my life.
For a whole afternoon, I neglected every single thing that I had to do. I didn't edit any articles. I didn't cover any shifts. I didn't do any homework or write any essays. I didn't volunteer at a table. (I did check my email because that’s one habit I just can’t kick). I chose to take a step back and to do nothing; to just breathe and just be present in my life. I just stopped for a minute, stood in the ocean, and allowed myself to feel things and it was the most glorious nine hours I have ever spent.
I, like many, many other people, work myself to the point of exhaustion quite regularly. I’m constantly going; running back and forth to classes, appointments, meetings, work, volunteering, study sessions, office hours, meals, Ubers, and occasionally some sleep. I thrive at this level of busy-ness. I get the most done when I don’t have any downtime and when I'm running around between activities. I'm even going into a career that requires me to be busy and think on my feet and work non-stop for countless hours every week. I love to be busy but I need to learn to recognize when the busy-ness gets to be too much.
Taking breaks and relaxing looks different for everyone. Some people like to take brief breaks throughout their days to breathe deeply, do some yoga, drink coffee, or watch the sunset. Some like to take outings every few days or once a week; to catch dinner with friends or go see a movie. Others (like me) infrequently take entire days off to explore, go on a road trip, or completely detach from life for an extended period of time. However you relax and rejuvenate, do it! Life is amazing and being busy is exhilarating but you're no use to yourself or anyone else if you're too exhausted. Take breaks. Take a step back. Living life at a breakneck speed is exciting and fulfilling but ultimately it's no way to live.
