It has been far too long since I have posted here!! The end of last semester came to a close, and I had good intentions of buckling right down to my NCLEX work and prepping for my HESI exit exam this fall. However, I realized quickly that I just needed to give myself a bit of a mental break from my studies and even my blog. The pause from the normal rhythm of classes and exams has been wonderful, and I am feeling like I can finally open my textbooks again. I am also hopeful that I will be much more faithful with blogging!
I was trying to think of what I wanted to write about today, and I decided upon the theme that brought me back to my blog: taking a break! Sometimes the very best thing you can do for your mental health is to just step back from your long to-do list and let your head and mind clear. For different people this will manifest itself in different ways. For some it will look like taking a nap. For others (like my brother)! it will look like working on putting a clutch back on our car. (For the life of me, I cannot fathom how he does it!) For still others it will look like sitting down to a project that you have been wanting to finish for a long time. No matter what "taking a break" looks like for you, I hope this post encourages you to take a little time for yourself. I promise you will be so much more productive when you do get back to work!!
1) Make yourself a cup of coffee!
What are some ideas of "breaks" you can take? They can be just as simple as pouring yourself a nice cup of coffee. Take the time to just set your work aside and just enjoy sipping a hot drink. If you are not a coffee person, make yourself a cup of tea! It is even nicer if you can share a fun drink with a friend.
2) Get outside!
Go for a walk or a jog. Take the time to breathe in the fresh air and soak up some sunshine! I love going out for a run first thing in the morning. There is something so energizing about getting active early in the day and enjoying the peaceful morning sounds.
3) Bake something yummy!
Baking is one of my favorite hobbies. I always love trying new recipes. My favorite recipe sites are halfbakedharvest.com, https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/ and https://natashaskitchen.com/ and https://www.foodiewithfamily.com/ . I love baking and enjoying yummy treats with my family!
4) Write a handwritten letter to a friend!
I was talking with a close friend of mine over Facetime the other night about how much I miss handwritten letters, and we decided to start writing to each other. We send each other text messages frequently, but there is something so special about having a letter to be able to keep forever. This past weekend my great grandmother passed away, and I spent a long time sitting on my bedroom floor reading all of the letters she wrote to me throughout the years. There was something so special about holding a letter she had written with her own hands. It felt like I had a piece of her with me. I may be one of the few people who still enjoys "old-fashioned" paper notes, but I encourage you to give it a try!!
5) Read a book
And no, a textbook doesn't count! I always love having one or two "fun" books going during the school year. Right now I am reading Lysa Terkheurst's book, "Trustworthy". It is such an amazing devotional, and I highly recommend it. I am listening to "The Diary of Anne Frank" on audio during my morning runs and finally trying to finish the "Call the Midwife" series . I loved the TV show that the books are based off of, but I almost always enjoy books more than movies!
6) Play a game
My siblings and I love to play games. Whether it is a rowdy round of ping-pong in our garage, a long game of Monopoly (that we often don't finish)!, or a quick game of Uno or Spit, there is something so fun about playing a family game.
7) Enjoy working without juggling classes!
Okay, this may seem counter-intuitive, but sometimes taking a break doesn't mean stopping work altogether. I have actually enjoyed picking up some extra hours at Chick-Fil-A while I am not trying to balance my class schedule with my very limited work availability! There is something so nice about coming home from a shift and being able to relax and not rush to submit an assignment or study for an exam the next day.
Hopefully this post encourages you to take a little break this week!! I hope you all are having a wonderful summer and enjoying a respite from classes or teaching.
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