How to Take a Mental Break (And Why We All Need One)

Ya’ll, I just need you to know that the last week of March was a doozy over here in the Larson casa. (And yes I realize that I’m some midwesterner from Nebraska and not a single person says “ya’ll” here, but I don’t care. I still like it and I’m going to sneak it into my writing when I can. 🙂 )

That last week of March we tried to squeeze 2 birthday parties into one weekend (I DO NOT recommend this, in case you’re wondering). Plus we had a full schedule of events taking up every single evening that week. We had to do lists, cleaning, decorating, and gifting to accomplish. There were just a million things.

More than all the to do’s though, I felt like my family needed me that week. It was probably a combination of Makenna turning 6 which led to me have ALL THE FEELS, and just knowing that my kiddos are growing up SO fast. I felt like they needed me to be present and be with them that last week of March.

So I cut back. I cut back on things that were feeling like a lot of work mentally. I took a week off of blogging. I let myself get out of routine. I binge watched The Office (for the 800 bazillionth time). And you know what I learned?

I learned that mental breaks are necessary and a valid form of self-care.

I’m figuring if I’ve just learned this, perhaps you need to hear about it as well. So today we’re going to dive into how to take a mental break + why we all need one. Let’s go!

The first thing I need to tell you, is that it’s ok to take a break.

For me this last week, I felt like I had two options. 1. Keep pushing forward at full speed (by trying to keep all of the regular balls in the air plus the extra ones like birthday party planning and events) and risk burn out, OR 2. Do the bare minimum by only doing what’s most important, then letting my mind take a break once those things were accomplished.

I chose the latter. I did what absolutely needed to get done, and then I let my mind wander the rest of the time.

I think (at least for me anyway), that we get suckered into the lie that we have to keep going and we have to keep doing. We have to stay busy.

I’m here to tell you that you DO NOT have to stay busy.

I’m giving you permission right now, today, to take a step back and find some time to simply do. nothing.

Sometimes I think it feels good to be busy. It’s comfortable, right? We get wrapped up in our schedules and our obligations and our never-ending lists that we forget to take time to just BE. (–> Raising my hand over here, too!)

So let me gently remind us both, that just because you’re taking a break from the relentless things to do, doesn’t mean we’re being lazy or wasting time.

Breaking from our routine is more than ok. It’s necessary. It’s necessary to avoid burn out, and it’s necessary if we want to take care of ourselves.

Second, if you’re going to Commit to a mental break, Try These 3 Things:

1. Stop Multi-Tasking.

Multi-tasking means one thing to me: Accomplishment. Nothing makes me feel like I’ve really gotten somewhere than when I’m conquering 2 things at once. Plus, let’s just be real, sometimes multi-tasking is part of #momlife, no matter how great our intentions.

But I’ll be honest and say that one thing I’m learning is while I can multi-task, it doesn’t mean I necessarily should. So if you’re starting to feel a little burned out and you’re thinking a mental break might be a good idea, consider focusing on one thing at a time instead of trying to get yourself ready for work in the morning while also folding that laaaast basket of laundry. (Especially since you and I both know that there is never a LAST basket of laundry. It just finds a way to recycle, #amiright?)

2. Do things that bring you joy and relaxation.

Binge-watch Netflix. Go get a pedicure. Read that book that’s been sitting on your nightstand for the past 6 months.

Do something other then what’s on your regular to do list. There will always be things to do. Don’t be afraid to take a break and do something you actually WANT to do. Something that breaths a little life into your soul.

3. Take a break guiltlessly.

Don’t skip this step! It might be the most important piece to fully enjoying a mental break!

I’ve always said that you need to do what’s best for you. You need to find and do things that fill up your cup. And now I want to add that you should do them without guilt.

Remember that you are your own worst critic. No one is worrying about you nearly as much as you think they are. So if you need to cut back on some things in your life, or if you need to just stay at home for a weekend and catch up on sleep, you do you!

Take your mental health break, and take it without a side of guilt.

A Mental break is sometimes exactly what we need to get up and get going again.

I love to chase my goals and give it 110%. There’s A TON of information out there to keep us motivated and fired up and I for one love tracking down the perfect inspirational quote and going all in. YES! LET’S DO THIS, PEOPLE!! WHOOOO!!

As much as I love a good motivation speech, though, I gotta tell ya: I sometimes get just plain tired of trying so hard. Do you ever feel this way, too? Like we want to achieve that goal but HOLY COW this is taking so much time and energy and mental stamina!

Here’s where the mental break comes in. It gives us a chance to just take an actual, physical break from trying SO HARD 24/7.

And most importantly, I’ve found that taking a break actually helps me build up a little momentum to get back into the swing of things.

Take blogging for instance. Writing takes more creative juice than I ever thought possible. And sometimes, I just feel like that creative juice is gone. It’s nowhere to be found and I’m stuck staring at a screen with a blinking cursor. So you know what I do?

I take a break.

And more often than not, the break is exactly what I need to get my creative thought process going again. It seems odd that a break would actually lead to productivity, but sometimes our minds are just so dang tired of being productive!

So if you’re lacking a little momentum or motivation right now, you might just need a break. Take the break (guiltlessly, remember?) and I promise the momentum will find you when your mind’s ready to take on a little more work.

Wrapping up.

We made it through that last week of March and I’m still celebrating the fact that that week is over! I’m not sure I would have made it, though, had I not decided to take a mental break from trying to do every single thing.

Here’s the thing: We both know that life can be CRAZY. It can be exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. Don’t forget to take a break every now and then and let your mind relax from the constant demands of life. You deserve it!

OVER TO YOU! Have you ever had a time when a mental break saved you? If so, what’s your ideal break look like? I’d love to hear your story in the comments below!