Taking a Break

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

As expressed in a previous Injection of Inspiration blog post, everyone is need of a break once in awhile, and what better time to take off than during the same? The break we all need is inevitable, especially if you work harder and more diligently than the average person. As good as working is for you (and your bank account), too much of it can do more harm than good. If you overwork yourself, you'll find yourself burned out, both mentally and physically, rather quickly. That being said, it's a high time you took some time for yourself and went on that vacation to (insert luxurious location here) that you've been highly anticipating for some time now. After working long and hard for a substantial amount of time, you're due for a vacation. Not only are you deserving of one, but you are in need of one (and probably want one as well).

You see, burning yourself out from working too much could start to affect your performance. Go out on a high note, not after your work has suffered because you can't concentrate or focus. The whole "taking a break" philosophy doesn't apply only to working, though. Whether it be in sports, school and maybe even on social network, everyone is due for a break at some point or another. Working will take its toll on you mentally, but partaking in a sport constantly will take its toll on you physically, and that's when it starts to become dangerous to your health.

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I joined the Twitter world in June 2009, but it wasn't until May 2011 that I started to use it on a more regular basis. From the summer of 2011 to early 2012, I took a total of four breaks from social networking. One was a mere three days, one was eight days, another a week, and the final a whopping two and a half weeks. From February 2012 on, I never took a day off from tweeting. It wasn't only because I wanted to tweet, but I needed to. I had/have a number of things that need to be plugged on a regular basis (websites, videos, articles, etc.), and Twitter plays a big part in helping generate traffic. However, as my senior year of high school came to a close, I knew it was time to take a break. Not only from Twitter, but from every other form of social networking as well. It grew to the point of being a burden, and once it becomes a burden, you stop having fun.

So, I stopped tweeting the day of my high school graduation in late June and returned to the social media website on the first of July. In that week off, I felt great. I didn't tweet, post on Facebook, write articles (I did towards the end, but solely for the fun of it), go to MMA class or anything. It was an amazing feeling. Once I got back to doing my thing everyday, I felt more inspired to do stuff. I actually wanted to do the aforementioned chores and not ignore them. As cliche as it sounds, it was a learning experience and one that I won't soon forget.

Of course, there's no set time you need to be away for. The unwritten rule book doesn't say that you need to take exactly 10 days off of work, or stop tweeting for two weeks top. You take a break for however long you feel is necessary. At some point in your mini-vacation, you'll feel ready to go back to work. If you go back to work and still feel it's overbearing, then that job must not be for you. That's rare, though, so don't think the job/activity is the problem. You're more than likely working too much to the point where you're burned out. Schools have vacations, so they grant you time off. If you don't have that kind of luxury in a job or sport, take initiative and say you need time off. Only you know how badly you are in need of a break, so take advantage of the summer season by booking your necessary vacation as soon as possible.


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