Why Taking a Break Will Make You More Productive

Our world is very “hustle” oriented nowadays. We’re constantly bombarded with images and updates of the progress those around us are making, being offered advice on how we can be more productive, and given subtle and not-so-subtle hints that down time is for the lazy.

But hustling all day every day will eventually end only one way: burnout.

Striving for big goals and working towards our dreams is great. But if we never allow ourselves some down time, we don’t give ourselves a chance to breathe, to clear our minds, and to recharge and reset. Without a chance to reset, our brains keep spinning constantly in “go” mode. And then we burn out.

I read somewhere recently that our culture doesn’t really do self-care; we do “after-care” instead. As a culture, we do recognize the importance of taking a break and allowing for some down time, but only once things have gotten so bad that we literally can’t function anymore, and we pretend that is self-care. 

But self-care is actually more about prevention than cleaning up the mess. Self-care means setting aside intentional breaks and recharge time before we end up a burnt out disaster.

And I get it. When there’s piles of laundry and dishes, deadlines to meet, little mouths to feed, groceries to buy, and limited time to dedicate to our personal ambitions and goals, it’s too easy to fall into the mindset that we must use whatever precious free time we have to work on those goals, that every spare minute we have must be dedicated to writing the words.

But what if I told you the break will actually make you more productive ultimately?

It’s absolutely true. When we take the time to allow ourselves a real break – to step away from all the demands we place on ourselves and truly recharge and reset – we come back to our goals with clearer minds and more motivation to continue on. We come back with energy that we just don’t have when we’re constantly forcing ourselves to keep going in the name of “being productive.”

So, I encourage you to start shifting your mindset about what being productive really means. Sometimes, the very best thing you can do for your productivity is to step away for a little bit, trusting that when you come back, you’ll be better able to truly be productive rather than going through the motions. Consider scheduling in regular self-care rather than waiting until you’re completely overwhelmed, exhausted, and frustrated to do something nice for yourself. I promise you deserve it!