It's OK To Take a Break: Why You Should Slow Down To Bloom Again
Overwhelmed? Uninspired? Switch yourself off and recharge your batteries.
Having
a long-term project like a blog, content creation, or an artistic
hobby, is always a big endeavour. And unfortunately, you can't always
be 100%. Over the past few months I haven't been too excited about my
blog and producing content here. Nothing wrong with it, too. It
doesn't mean that I'm tired of blogging at all, but I have less time
nowadays, and fewer ideas than I did before too. At first I found it
very frustrating and took it as me not being as good with the whole
blogging thing, but then, during the recent summer holidays and when
I happened to not post for more than a month, I realised it is
actually OK to give it a break. If you are feeling like me right now,
here the little tips I gathered that made me feel better about
slowing it down!
WHEN should you take a break?
There
is a difference between when you should try a little harder and push
yourself, and when you've just got to stop altogether and take a
break. I do believe resilience is key and you should always try to
improve what you would like to change, in yourself or in what you do.
But then, how do you know when it's time to stop?
Generally,
if you lack inspiration for too long and you can't get your
motivation back for a while, even though you've tried everything,
then you should consider stopping everything and taking a step back.
It doesn't mean that you will never get there, it just means that you
give yourself the time to live, relax, focus on self-care, before
getting back to the task. There is no shame in taking time to do
something. Enjoying the journey is important, and if you don't put
yourself first, you will hit the wall eventually. So look for the
little signs that tell you to stop for a bit, and listen. Don't
overdo it.
WHY should you take a break?
If
you're stuck, pushing it again and again won't help - it may just
tire you out more and you need to feel refreshed to start over with
new motivation and ideas. Taking a break will put things in
perspective and allow you to think about why you have been feeling
that way and how you can make it better. Stressing out about not
being good enough is never a good option! This is why you need a
break: to relax, think things through, reflect on your own mental
health and fix it. With some time and self-care, you will slowly find
a path to move forward again and fuel your creativity.
HOW should you take a break?
I
have tried 'half breaks' before, and it doesn't really work. Like
pretending to be on a break, but ending up doing a bit of this and
that, because I was feeling too guilty to completely stop and pause.
Leave your project out for a bit and do something different: call a
friend, watch a film, do a pamper session, instead of working on your
project as you usually would. Look after your mind and practise more self-care. Look for support if you need it: ask
friends out, do things together and maybe ask them for advice on your
situation. Chances are they've been there too - we all have! - and if
they know you well, they will give you relevant advice that you may
not have found out on your own. Sometimes, you can't do it all on
your own and that's totally ok! So own the fact that you're taking a
break and slowing down a bit. I really believe things work out at the right time eventually, though it may take longer than anticipated.
Listen to yourself and you will get there!
What do you do when you need a break? What's your favourite way to recharge your batteries?
Lots of love,
Julia x
Lots of love,
Julia x
