When the Tough Gets Going...Sometimes You Need a Break!

This time of year can be stressful for a multitude of reasons: approaching midterms, applying for graduate school, starting your search for post-graduation career plans, impeding personal life--the list goes on. And sometimes things pile up, things happen (like ANOTHER snow day...) and it can start to get overwhelming. This is an important time to listen to your body and figure out when you need to take a break.

Self-care is an important topic that often gets neglected when the going gets tough. You'll pull an all-nighter, grab a handful of chips instead of eating a full meal, and your mind will be racing from one thing to the next. It's at this point that you feel yourself getting overwhelmed (or even getting sick) that you should know it's okay and acceptable to take a break.

However, I find there's a line between procrastination and taking a break! Procrastination is "the action of delaying or postponing something" and taking a break is giving yourself the moment to catch up, breathe for a few minutes and re-ground yourself. So be sure to know when you're just putting off that assignment because you don't feel like writing it!

When you feel yourself starting to get to the point of overwhelming levels, take a moment to pause, and do something for yourself. Whether it's grabbing lunch with a friend, meditating, going to the gym, or whatever your re-grounding activity is, it's okay to take a break and it will probably help you in the long run!

Anne Monique Concepcion,
Graduate Assistant