Breathe: Take a Break

As I go through the path of becoming an adult, I become more overwhelmed with new experiences. I am in a state where I get physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted, and the word “rest” started to vanish from my vocabulary.

Suddenly, some questions hang in my mind – why do we get tired? Is it a result of our workload and responsibilities? Is it because we get constantly bombarded by those? Or is it that we overlook the necessity of taking a break?

Due to the various tasks we have to accomplish, it sometimes seems challenging for students to take a break. We use our free time to finish our work rather than to unwind. We occasionally tend to prioritize our deadlines over our well-being.

Perhaps for others, taking a break is not worth the time as they think they might accomplish much more if they would continue working. Some even feel an amount of guilt whenever they take action for their benefit and interest.

Understandably, we want to accomplish our tasks on or even ahead of the deadline. However, if we value what we do and want to give out the most of ourselves, we should take the time to look after ourselves. Being holistically unwell will affect how we perform our daily tasks and activities, even if not today — the future will tell it. Hence, we should know our limits and know when to pause.

Pushing ourselves beyond our limit is counterproductive since it will only increase our stress levels, which are typically the root causes of exhaustion. Keep in mind that balancing is something we must practice not only in accounting: but in all areas of life.

Taking a break is like recharging our well-being. During breaks, we can indulge in our favorite meals, play our favorite games, watch our best-loved movies, read a book, sit with our loved ones and chat about our life, or talk to God and express our feelings to Him. It can take any form as long as it provides us with comfort and rest. 

Let us not deprive ourselves of the rest we need; let’s love ourselves first, as we will not enjoy the rewards of our labors if we are unable to maintain our strength and health.

A quotation from Akiroq Brost says, “Do something nice for yourself today. Find some quiet, sit in stillness, breathe. Put your problems on pause. You deserve a break.” A moment of relaxation would not hurt, so let us take one. After all, we certainly deserve it.