Oct
22
Break Away From Stress
Filed Under Healthy Habits, Time Management
When people think of fitness and health they think of people moving about, working out and getting stuff done. They think of a life lived at a fast pace and with lots of energy. While this may be partially true, there’s also a part to living healthy which consists of doing nothing at all.
Taking Breaks
It may seem counterintuitive, but taking an occasional break is a good thing. I’m not talking about a break from your workout routine or a break from work, I’m talking about a break in which you do nothing at all. Go outside, sit on a bench and do nothing. Go indoors, sit on your couch and close your eyes for 15 minutes. That’s the kind of break I’m talking about.
The Stress Factor
Most of us are in a constant state of stress. We’re stressed about our jobs, our families, our relationships, our health and a host of other things. This stress is bad for us. It’s bad for our health because it throws off the chemical balance of our bodies. Stress can cause our bodies to manufacture hormones that trigger binging. It can also cause higher blood pressure and a variety of other health issues. Stress is like a constant weight that we carry, never noticing how much it slows us down. Once in a while, we just need to put that weight down and reflect on who we are and where we are.
Put The Weight Down
Go somewhere relatively peaceful. This can be anywhere from your living room to a bench at a park to a conference room in your office. Then just sit down, close your eyes and relax. Stop thinking about what you’re trying to accomplish and just think about something that relaxes you. Perhaps that’s a fond memory or maybe it’s an image of a place you’d like to visit. Whatever it is, just clear your mind of everything else but that. Don’t feel guilty about this little time off, you deserve it and even more important, you need it. So just let go of the stress and calm down.
Benefits
I think you’ll find that you’re recharged and far more productive after these little breaks. You’ll get more done, easily compensating for the 15 minutes you took off. You’ll also feel better mentally and physically. Stress is a horribly destructive force in our bodies because it forces our systems to function in a sort of overdrive. That’s fine for short periods of time but not as a normal state. Short breaks can calm our bodies down and let it get back to a normal existence.
Summary
So stop reading this blog already and go take a break. 60 in 3 will still be here when you come back. 
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Comments
3 Responses to “Break Away From Stress”
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Hi, I don’t think it’s counterintuitive at all to take a 15 minute break every once in awhile, in fact I’ve found it’s necessary. If I keep working non-stop it quickly leads to burnout, not to mention stress! You’re right that a break will make you much more productive, and that chronic stress is a killer.
I use commuting time on the train for a little break. I actually have it down to a fine art, I can actually sometimes take a small sleep - and still wake up for my stop. A friend was horrified when I told him, saying he uses the time to do some work or at least read a book. But I find doing absolutely nothing, and perhaps even having a 30 minute nap on my homeward journey means I have huge amounts of energy which I just didn’t have before in the evening, and I wake up the next day feeling better too.
JoLynn,
I think most people just don’t understand that. They associate breaks with being lazy and LESS productive and don’t realize that a good break is a way of being MORE productive.
Richard,
You’re a man after my own heart. I do the exact same thing. I might read a book sometimes, but usually I just relax on the train ride. I get to work / home feeling refreshed and ready to go! So much better than my old car commute which made me angry and frustrated.
Gal