Give Yourself a Break

We all get overwhelmed sometimes and that is okay. There are many of us who are incredibly hard on ourselves and we tend to forget to be our own best friend. And due to this, we sometimes reach the boiling point of being overwhelmed. My friends, even though it is a difficult task, don't let it get to that point. Give yourself a break. Take time away from your situation. Go on a walk, watch your favorite movie, hangout with your friends, talk to a family member, or do a fun activity. Do anything that calms your mind and body. Get yourself to laugh and have light-hearted moments in the midst of stress. Laughter is truly the best medicine.

When I was in college, I would often stress out over tests and difficult ten page papers. During these stressful times, I would take a break by hanging out with my friends. We would play games, watch movies, and go out to eat. They would help me to laugh and have fun. Then when I would return to my studying, I had better insight and was able to focus more.

Taking a break from your stressful situation can be mental, physical or both. For instance, if you are doing a lot of homework, you could take a short mental break by meditating, talking to someone on the phone or listening to music. I often did this when I had a great deal of homework to do and was unable to leave my apartment. Currently, when I take a break from my stressful situations, I try to self-reflect on my value because I tend to feel as though I am failing. This feeling of failure usually lowers my self-confidence. Thus, I frequently talk to myself as my best friend would. I would tell myself that I am doing the best I can and I am able to get through anything. After my mental and physical break, I self-reflect on why I am feeling stressed and brainstorm on how I can decrease it. For example, if I were to feel stressed because I had a messy home and also needed to get some writing done, I would make a plan to alternate between cleaning and writing.

Trust me when I say it is easier to think after you take a break. It can help you to not only feel better but to also take on difficult tasks. And the break doesn’t have to be from ten minutes to a couple hours, it can be as long as you need. Do yourself a favor! Be your own best friend and give yourself a break. You deserve it!