As the number of my class modules increases, their respective workloads seem to be growing as well. My semester has been characterized by a never-ending list filled with assignment deadlines, work responsibilities and personal tasks that seem to slip by the wayside; I’m looking at you, laundry. When the semester becomes centered around the satisfying swipe of my pen as I cross off my tasks, I find myself prioritizing breaks more.
However, as we all know, not every break is created equal. And, I admit, sometimes my breaks can look a little…meaningless: unimportant and unfulfilling. Translation: my breaks can consist of turning my eyes from a medium-sized screen to a small, pocket-sized screen. Which leads to memes. Which leads to Reels. Which leads to a break that doesn’t only lack fuel, but drains me further.
If you find yourself following a similar pattern, I have great news. Meaningful, important and     fulfilling breaks that fuel you do, in fact, exist. But you must consider what breaks work for you.
A break can be a micro-vacation that lets you turn your focus to something else. Yet, vacations are different for everybody. Some might consider running a marathon in Hawaii to be their ideal      trip. Other people might prefer to cozy up in a warm Tennessee cabin surrounded by snow. Similarly, a break that revives me might ruin your vibe. So, how do you decide what breaks to take?
Here are four steps I used to create my ideal mini brain holiday:
1. First, I examined my goals. What is something I want to achieve this year? Personally? Financially? Physically? One of my goals is to run a 5k this year (or at least train and register for a 5k to solidify my commitment).
2. Second, I divided my goals into different time segments. I used this helpful format: In [fill in time] minutes, I can do [fill in activity] to work toward my goal of [fill in goal]. For instance, in five minutes, I can walk on my walking pad to increase my step count to work toward my goal of running a 5k.
The wonderful thing about this method is that it can be applied to any amount of time for any goal. Proof? In 15 minutes, I can journal outside to work toward my goal of being more mindful. In 10 minutes, I can call my cousin to work toward my goal of remaining close to my family. In two minutes, I can cut up some fresh carrots to work toward my goal of eating whole foods. I rest my case.
3. Third, and perhaps the most difficult, I have to make the time to prioritize these breaks over their screen-based alternatives. Sometimes, out of habit, I will just pick up my phone without thinking in between tasks. However, breaking this pattern is indeed possible. I like to set a vision board picture as my screensaver to remind myself of the ultimate long-term goal, which helps me see past the short-term satisfaction. Another helpful alternative is to change my phone’s screen color settings. Setting your phone to grayscale makes scrolling less appealing (and, at least for me, it helps a lot). Whatever method you choose, the overall objective is to remind yourself of what you want to achieve six months, a year or even five years down the road.
4. Lastly, I repeat this process with every goal that I have. Whether it’s maintaining a clean environment or reading more fun books, I can break each goal down into a five to fifty minute segment so that I can work on them while continuing to strive toward my academic objectives.      Embracing these intentional breaks, helps me achieve my overall goal: living a more balanced life. By following these four simple steps, you can too!   Â