Take A Break: Rest, Rebuild, and Be Stronger

Gym rats know that that lifting weights tears down your muscle fibres so that they can be built up again. This is why you do not work the same set of muscles two days in a row. You need to take a break to allow the muscle fibres to re-grow and become stronger than before.

This applies to life as well. When you take a break, you’re not just goofing off. You’re allowing your mental, spiritual and emotional muscles to re-build.

Ways to take a break

1. Meditate for a minute

This gives your mind a break by stopping conscious thinking for a while. Even one minute helps, though most of us will take 20 minutes or longer to quieten our thoughts. When you go into deep meditation, your brain’s vibrations slow to even less than when you are asleep.

To learn more about meditation, read Master Key System for scientific explanations and simple practical actions.

Personally, I keep it simple. I light a candle and look at it for a few minutes. I listen to the clock ticking, my own breathing, the fan’s blades. When I reach deep peace, I feel more refreshed than after a good night’s sleep. More often than not I don’t reach this level, but the few minutes of mental rest still helps.

2. Do something naughty

This is my way of taking a break spiritually, from trying to be good all the time. I’m sure God will understand, and if you don’t believe in God then this should be really easy! Obviously stay within the law and don’t hurt other people. Here are some that you may find tame, but that’s because I’m a wuss. Invent your own if you prefer.

• Walk down the middle of the road when there are no cars, as if you owned it.
• Get tipsy at lunchtime.
• Hang up on someone you don’t like mid-sentence and blame the connection.
• Play your favourite music really loud and don’t worry about the neighbours (just for a while though).
• Turn down a request for help simply because you are taking a break from being good.

3. Spend some “Me” time

This is your emotional rest. Schedule a few hours just to be with yourself, by yourself, for yourself. There is no need to plan anything for this time slot. Just do whatever you feel like doing when the time comes. If you felt like it, you could sit and stare into space all day.

I love to sit in a cafe with a good book and read. Sometimes I go for a foot massage. Occasionally I take a walk in the park. I used to go shopping and play computer games but I think I’ve outgrown these and now prefer quieter pursuits.

Do you need to take a break today?

Life can be a long journey, and you need to stop for rest along the way. What else do you do when you take a break? Leave a comment so I can learn from you too!