Mental Health Lessons: Gimmie a Break October 17 2019

Last week I took a break.  It was not after 5pm, or for a quick run to the coffee shop.  It was in the middle of the day when I could have been working.  I went to the beach.  Why?  Because we need breaks.  Not just the 15 minute snack break or the lunch with a friend but a break where we disconnect from our daily lives.  I need this for perspective, I need it to be able to see things in a different way and to breathe a little deeper.  I need it to stop thinking about everything as it is, and let it go.  I needed it to allow my intuition to surface and speak to me.   

I was approached with something I had to make a significant life decision about two days earlier.  So when a friend asked if I wanted to go to the beach mid-week, when typically I would decline because I have to work, I chose to take this opportunity to reflect and restore.  What beautiful timing.  Life will do that sometimes, give you just what you need.  I didn’t fall behind on work, I didn’t miss anything, rather I came back refreshed and clear.  I realize not everyone can go to the beach, but maybe it is just an hour at a park or a walk in the woods.  Maybe it is watching the sun set or spending an hour looking at the stars.  Connect to something other than the every day, and maybe it will speak to you.  Maybe you will learn something or just walk away with a little more peace.  I have to make this part of my regular practice.  It is part of my positive mental health, in turn part of my health.  I hope you too can find these moments, our hours or days in which you can take a break.