Embracing the Art of Taking a Break: A Journey of Self-Discovery
Stop. Take a break. Breathe.
Before you dive into this article, I invite you to take a few minutes for yourself. Prepare a cup of coffee, a refreshing tea, or perhaps a nice glass of wine. Take your time. Don’t worry; I’ll be here waiting for you to come back…
For quite some time, I’ve wanted to write this article, but I struggled to find the right words to convey my message. Even now, I’m unsure if I can do it justice, but I’ll do my best.
It has been over a month since I completed my UX/UI Bootcamp, one of the most intense educational experiences I’ve ever had. I had the opportunity to meet amazing and talented people and was fortunate to have some exceptional mentors and teachers. I learned a tremendous amount, although I can’t say the same about my sleep schedule. Nevertheless, I loved every moment of it — the highs and the lows. The excitement and empowerment I felt when I succeeded and the moments of self-doubt when I thought I wasn’t good enough. All of these experiences pushed me to my limits, driving me to continually improve.
Of course, when it finally came to an end, I must admit that I felt relieved. I knew I needed to take a moment to breathe. It was as if I had been holding my breath for so long without even realizing it, and I suddenly found myself on the verge of exhaustion. It took me a whole week to catch up on the sleep I had missed during those three months. It took even longer to sit down and organize all the information and knowledge I had acquired during that time — and truth be told, I’m still in the process of doing so.
During this time, I also learned the importance of saying “Stop, it’s too much.” Such a simple sentence, yet so difficult to put into action in our fast-paced society. Why are we always in a rush? Why do we constantly feel the need to do more? And most importantly, why is it so challenging to stop? I realized that I needed to learn how to pause. I often find myself thinking that maybe I can do a bit more… just a little bit more, and more. But when I finally force myself to stop, guilt starts to consume me. I question why I’m so lazy and convince myself that I will never accomplish anything if I don’t work harder. It’s the curse of imposter syndrome, and I despise this feeling.
So, I’m learning — though I haven’t mastered it yet — the art of taking a break. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I believe I’m on the right path. Let’s normalize these feelings; let’s accept them. We don’t have to hide or avoid them. Instead, let’s embrace them, albeit not too tightly. We need to allow ourselves to feel and experience these negative thoughts because only by acknowledging them can we work on them and learn how to manage them.
Now, why don’t you take a break? You deserve it, regardless of how hard you’ve worked today. And if you have a little time, I would love to learn from your experiences. Have you overcome these feelings? If so, how did you do it? Let’s share our insights and support each other on this journey.
