During a wellness journey there are times when your body and mind feel overwhelmed by the constant focus on getting your life right. Often, we get so focused on every aspect of our life choices that we forget to enjoy the moment. We spend so much time focusing on whether we’re eating right. Are we getting enough exercise? How much sleep are we getting? Sometimes, we need to give ourselves a break from focusing to let ourselves let go to relax. Taking a break is essential to reset.

Finding Yourself Overwhelmed and Consumed

Recently, I found myself overwhelmed from focusing on my goals and plans. My days were almost completely planned from the moment I woke up until I fell asleep.  My schedule was so tight that I even had my relaxation time scheduled. 

This made me so stressed and consumed that I began to forget what’s important.  I was preparing for a race, which made me extremely focused on what I was consuming, when I went to bed and my workouts. The week after my race I became consumed with losing the few pounds of weight I put on during training. Believe it or not, it is common to gain a little weight when long distance running training.

Building Stress and Exhaustion

The months of constant focus became exhausting.  Over the last few weeks I felt my stress building, especially when it came to work.  This can cause some issues since I work closely with students.  I did not reach a breaking point, but learning from past experiences I knew I needed a break.

It could be different for others, but in my case, when I feel stress building up, I become exhausted and antsy.  I try to fight against myself while trying to maintain composure and put on a front around others. As an introvert, being around people is already exhausting.  It becomes harder when I’m not in the right head space.  That’s where experience and learning from the past comes in, so I don’t make mistakes.

Taking a Break to Reset

When I find myself in this situation, I take a breath and take a break.  This not only means taking a break from work.  I must take a break from focusing on my diet, exercise and schedule to avoid becoming consumed. 

A few days ago, I had to travel.  I decided this would be a chance to take a break from focusing on my schedule. Instead, I focused on myself by taking a break from my schedule and diet. This was a chance to give my body and mind time to reset.

Vacations Don’t Have to Be Planned

Sometimes a vacation doesn’t need to be planned.  It doesn’t even require that we go somewhere.  When you feel yourself consumed, checking out from our day to day schedules, as much as possible, may be all we need. 

I planned to take this trip and stick to my schedule, but instead I took a break.  I didn’t set an alarm to get up for workouts, but slept in.  When I woke up, I went for a walk or run, whatever my body told me was best.  I didn’t go overboard on eating, but I indulged in food I normally wouldn’t.  I had cake, ice cream and a donut.  And guess what… it felt great to step back. It was refreshing.

Giving Yourself Space and Compassion Opens the Door

It might not seem like much, but giving myself the space to not worry about my wellness journey was what I needed.  There are times we need to step back from focusing on our wellness journey. What this actually does is supports your journey.  It gives our bodies and minds a chance to take a break.

Don’t panic if you need to take a break and reset.  Sometimes this is exactly what we need. Taking a break was what I needed. Now I can get back to focusing on my schedule with a few modifications to support my mind and body.  If you’re overwhelmed, do yourself a favor and give yourself a break.