Welcome to Soft Launch, a column by Elyse Fox on mental health and wellbeing in a world that often feels anything but soft and cushy. In this installment of the column, Elyse talks about how to take a break.
Do you ever take a moment to consider the time you spend doing things for others? Yes, things like making someone a snack or running errands for your family jump out. But there are many seemingly-smaller ways that we're actually working to make other people happy, like giving our immediate attention to incoming texts and email alerts, or the many ways we’ve become ‘on-call’ for any and every one.
I was catching up with a friend recently, exchanging excitement for an upcoming vacation across the world. When I asked if she had any trips or exciting things coming up this season, she shared that anything close to a break was at the bottom of her list of priorities. She said it with such pride, as if boundless work garnered an award. Trust me, I get it, there’s always something that must be done, and in a culture that still prioritizes the hustle, we can start to feel like we must constantly be busy in order to achieve success. We might even wonder whether we deserve a break unless we've worked ourselves to the bone. But that doesn't take into account the very real ways that giving out our time and energy to others — whether at work, school, online, or in our friendships — can wear on us.
This is where empty brain hours come in. In the name of mental health and self-care, sometimes clearing the decks and letting your mind wander is the best thing you can do to recharge your batteries.
In fact, taking breaks is crucial to maintaining our mental health. If you're in one of those stress spirals where you’re on the brink of a meltdown just because your brain’s juggling a hundred things at once, taking a break can actually help. I’m not talking about a full-on vacation (though that would be nice). I’m talking about stepping away for a few minutes. A quick walk, a 15-minute Facetime with a friend, or even just staring blankly at some art for a bit. “Breaks can improve our moods, overall well-being and performance capacity,” Charlotte Fritz, PhD, an associate professor in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology at Portland State University in Oregon, told the American Psychological Association. Though it might seem like stepping away from the tasks stressing you out would lead to more stress since the tasks aren't getting done during that time, it actually lowers your stress levels and helps you avoid that total breakdown you’re always one email away from.
So, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Sometimes, doing nothing is the best way to get stuff done.
One of my favorite reminders is that doing nothing can actually make you more creative. Who knew? Research suggests that a wandering mind is helpful in supporting creativity, problem-solving, and mood. But, it can be difficult to let your mind roam free when you know how much you have to do. In order to make sure I'm properly doing nothing, I schedule breaks into my calendar to break up the day. This ensures that you'll carve out time to get those crucial moments of total blankness, just absolutely nothing going on upstairs.
Ok, now this part is tough. Scrolling through TikTok does not an empty brain make. Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General, issued the first-ever advisory on social media use and how it can harm young people's mental health. Taking a break from your screen can do wonders for your mental health, but also consider creating a sustainable healthy routine with social media. When you're trying to quiet your mind and take your mid-day reset, looking at Instagram pictures that can trigger all kinds of feelings and questions isn't exactly the best way to get your juices flowing. See, empty brain hours are a time to go inside yourself, to let your stress out and see what takes its place. You want that inspiration coming directly from you — not from your frenemy that you can't unfollow.
While we're talking about little breaks throughout the day, the bigger issue at hand is creating healthy boundaries that actually support your ability to be your best self. Deciding when to take breaks can mean blocking off a few five-minute windows throughout the day to empty your brain, but it also means knowing when you need a more substantial rest. It means staying in when you're feeling overwhelmed by your social life, or taking a mental health day when you need one. It can also mean taking a trip like mine, or having a staycation in you're able to.
I encourage you to give yourself what’s owed, don’t feel guilty about it, and try not to work yourself into the ground. With that said, I'm going to go take a break.
