It’s Okay to Take a Break
Early and Often
My latest book, Happy Relationships: 25 Buddhist Practices to Transform Your Connection with your Partner, Family, and Friends, is due to the publisher in just a couple weeks. I’m writing, editing, and revising it all the time now, and the closer I get to the deadline the more reluctant I am to take a break or rest, even though I’ve been feeling very tense and tight.
Yesterday as I sat at my desk in the afternoon, I felt so anxious that I couldn’t concentrate and my heart and my mind were so heavy, I had to stop working, if only for a moment. I closed my computer and began slowly counting my breath. After a few minutes I felt a little bit more relaxed and I realized that I was experiencing an old familiar pattern from childhood—a worry that if I take my attention away from a task, something disastrous will happen. I let myself feel how scared I was and put my hand on my heart. I reminded myself that I’m here for me and I practiced lovingkindness meditation, too.
Since then, I’ve been taking breaks every few hours, and I’m actually more productive for it, and have more clarity about my work too. So I encourage you to do the same, even if you don’t think you should or believe it would be better to just push through. Here are a few resources to help you:
→ A Meditation for When You Need a Break - I’ve taken the paywall off it so everyone can practice
→ Patience for Procrastinators
If you’re interested in one-on-one sessions with me, I have availability — you can learn more about my schedule here. I can help you feel less self-critical and more open and compassionate about yourself and others, too. You’ll get personalized meditation instructions and non-judgmental support so you can create space for all of you to flourish.
→ Healing Grief and Loss begins on May 1st. We’ll meet for four Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30pm via Zoom. Learn more here.
→ Spring Self-Compassion class is May 5th, 4:00-5:15pm. This is a free program for subscribers to Meditation with Heart. Register at this link.
→ I lead a weekly lovingkindness meditation every Thursday night at Shantideva Meditation Center online. Everyone is welcome to join us! Learn more here.
May tender and gentle wisdom lead our words, thoughts, and behavior to benefit and not-harm our families, our communities, and the entire world. May we meet friends, strangers, and enemies with kindness, and ourselves with patience and love. Sabbe sattā sukhi hontu. May it be so!
Metta+++,
Kim✨
Sounds simple enough yet it’s so hard. Thank you for the valuable reminder!
breaks are absolutely necessary for mental and physical well-being: get up from your desk and go for a walk around the block (without checking your phone); take a nap with your kitties; or do nothing for several minutes at a time...