I need a break. My kids need a break. Thank goodness, it’s Spring Break.

It’s that wonderful time during the school year when the weather is beautiful, it stays lighter longer, and school is on vacation for a week. It always comes at just the right time, when we need a break so badly we can taste it. The last thing my kids want to do right now is study, and before too much permanent damage was done, Spring Break arrived.

Everyone needs a break every now and then, even people who aren’t students. It’s easy to forget this, once we’re in the “real world” and no longer on an academic schedule. We forget having a break every now and then can be a good thing, and many of us don’t give ourselves the time or space we need.

Remember this: any deviation from your normal routine can be beneficial. It gives you the opportunity to rest and relax, get a change of scenery, and withdraw from your life. I always welcome the chance to step away from my day to day routine because that’s how I get perspective. I can get a clear picture of what’s really working in my life, what isn’t, and maybe what needs to be changed. It’s hard to gain this perspective without stepping away.

It shocks me how many people don’t use their annual vacation time because they don’t think they have the time to take a vacation. I can’t tell you how many people I know who get 2-4 weeks of vacation each year and don’t use it. Some are able to carry their unused days over to another year and others get paid for the days they don’t use. But, I know some people who lose the vacation days they don’t take. The days are tossed out like old garbage. Forgotten.

This seems like a huge waste to me. If your employer gives you vacation days, I truly can’t imagine not using them. I understand people are busy at work. I get that individuals who get paid on commission don’t make money if they aren’t at work. I fully comprehend that at some places of employment, it’s political suicide to actually use all of the vacation time given.

But, here’s the thing: when we have a break and take a little time to relax, we come back to school, our jobs, our lives, recharged and renewed. We’re ready to get back into the swing of things. It’s healthy and it’s necessary.

Research shows that people who do take a break actually work at a more productive level. Remember this the next time you don’t take all of your vacation time or think you’re too busy to take time off from work. You don’t have to take an expensive vacation to come back renewed and recharged. Even having a couple of days off, staying at home and just “hanging out,” can be all you need.

You’ll be glad you did.

As for my family, the break couldn’t have come at a better time and we’re glad to have it. We’re spending quality time together, and that’s really all that matters.

Find meaning each day,

Dara

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