This post discusses the importance of taking a break so that we can carefully review our decisions and avoid mistakes. Life is stressful, and it is important that we schedule time to take a break so that we can look at where we are and proceed carefully.
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Taking a break is most difficult when it’s most greatly needed.
Sometimes the pressures of life push me in such a way that I work like a madman to do better.1 I find myself so eager to become tougher that I end up doing a run, strength workout, jump rope, soccer, and bike ride all in a day, only to do it all again the next day. I keep pushing for one more rep because I know that other people won’t and I want my intensity to payoff. I aim to keep going until something forces me to stop.
It’s important that we build taking a break into our regular activities so we can keep improving and prevent unnecessary wear. There is value in pushing ourselves, but that value is easily lost when we overdue it and cause stress injuries. Nothing delays progress quite like a senseless damage from your own efforts to improve.
1 Sometimes, the opposite is true. Life has an ability to press and prod us between doing nothing and running nonstop. To be discussed in a later post.
Why Take a Break?
There are countless reasons why we might need to take breaks. Stressful work projects, bad exercise reps, piling chores at home, or an unrelated injury are all factors that could cause us to operate in a frustrated and/or distracted manner. I find that my biggest mistakes come when I am trying be productive while preoccupied with something else. Overextending myself has led to many a sloppy repetition over the years. With that in mind, I try to be deliberate about taking brakes.
A brief break taken when we feel ourselves operating less smoothly than we know we are otherwise able gives us the chance to breathe, reset, and start again smoothly. These breaks do not need to follow the a consistent schedule; pauses can be at any time of the day and for varying durations (but don’t stop!).
Won’t Taking a Break Slow me Down?
Not only have studies tended to show that longer pauses might even yield improved muscle growth (both in terms of breaks between sets and between workouts themselves), but I have found that the pauses help me see where I can improve my form and what to target on subsequent reps.
When we keep pushing forward without taking time to see where we are and how we’re feeling, it is easy to miss our exit and do something that leads to more headaches in the future.
Time is everything, but this does not mean that lack of movement equates to a waste of time. There will always be more to do, so we
How to Take a Break
If you’re like me, you’ll find that it’s difficult to stop once you get going (see my discussion on inertia and doing work you don’t want to do for more). I regularly find myself thinking “I’ve already come this far, why not do just a bit more” (most often in the context of exercising). However, this extra bit more is usually where the trouble occurs.
Learning to take a break will keep you from running the extra mile that leads to knee pain, pulling muscles, and overwhelming yourself in a way that makes it tough to want to get back into the activity once you’ve stopped the current session. So how do you do it?
Approach Each Segment of an Activity as a Complete Event
We keep pushing when we feel that our work is incomplete. Segmenting an activity gives us checkpoints that will help us feel like our activity is complete while letting us more accurately fit it to our needs. Let’s consider how this would apply to taking a run:
I decide to go on a run. I never map my routes beforehand, instead adjusting my distance mid-run to fit how I’m feeling.
I generally structure my runs so that half the distance brings me out away from home and the other half is looping back home.
When I don’t build pauses into my run, I tend to push myself to go out farther. My body feels good, and I don’t see any need to slow down or plan my return.
All of a sudden, I’m ten miles from home.
Needless to say, I am not excited for the return loop.
When I do build pauses into my run, I do so by taking a moment to check in on myself after regular intervals (the same can be done for building a home system). For example, I will slow down every mile or so (or after 5-7 minutes if I’m not wearing my Apple Watch. I love my Apple Watch for running, so it generally stays on though. Happy to discuss if requested).
During my pause, I take my mind off of my pace and focus on how I feel physically. Particularly, I focus on areas that take a lot of impact during the run (ex. the balls of my feet, toes, knees, hips, etc.) to make sure everything is working properly.
If all is good, I keep going. If, after this pause, I decide I should shorten or lengthen my run, I plan the next segment of the route accordingly.
Taking a pause does not mean everything must stop. Sometimes, a slowdown in tempo is all we need. The goal is to allow ourselves to think about what we’re doing and if its sustainable.
Look for Signals to Take a Break
Segments can be helpful for dividing up activities and taking breaks. However, they aren’t always feasible. Additionally, the need for a break may come between segments. In these circumstances, it is helpful to know your body’s signals and stay on the lookout so you don’t end up unnecessarily overwhelmed.
We each have unique experiences with our bodies, and it is important that we try and listen to ourselves to determine when a break is necessary. There are two major ways I do this:
- Reviewing past signals; and
- Assessing potential signals.
I have been overwhelmed in the past. I’ll admit it. When I’ve been overwhelmed, I noticed a few recurring signals: tension in my stomach, head pressure, and a little clamminess (these are what I notice in myself. Try and pay attention to what you feel when overwhelmed and use those signals). If I have to do something that may be stressful, I stay on alert for these signals to help determine whether I need a break.
I also recognize that I don’t always feel the same when I am overwhelmed. When I enter a new situation, I tend to monitor how I’m feeling to make sure everything is ok. New situations can present new feelings, and not all mean a break is needed, but I find that I can more smoothly progress when I assess new feelings as they come in rather than waiting until a problem occurs.
Note: sometimes our efforts to avoid becoming overwhelmed make situations more stressful. When I put too much pressure on finding past negative signals, I am more likely to trick myself into seeing them and getting worked up. Additionally, I may turn my sensors too high when looking for potential signals, slowing down everything. It is important to recognize that we control our lives and the fun we have. While some stress is necessary, if we put too much pressure on everything, we can take the fun out of living.
Conclusion
Taking a break can be a great way to slow down and learn about ourselves. These breaks do not need to be a complete stop or formal event, and I find that even a slight shift in my tempo can be enough to get be back on track. It’s important that we listen to our past experiences and our body signals so that we continue to build a better system.
The more chances we give ourselves to pause and reflect, the better we will be at determining when we can keep going.
Any thoughts or questions? Let me know!
-G