We are all busy, and we all have several things on our plate at any given moment. Day after day goes by and we do our best to keep up. The media tells us we have to do it all, all the time. Everything you read is about trying to find a balance between working, taking care of the kids, keeping a clean home, and if we want to get any of our books published, writing. It’s exhausting, but we are told to just keep plugging away, that these things need to happen. However, sometimes taking a break is not only nice but necessary in order to keep our sanity.
As some of you know, 2019 was a really rough year for me and my family.
My step-dad, who was never really “step” anything, was diagnosed with cancer right before Christmas in 2018. Heartbreakingly, he lost his fight nine months later in September. It struck me so hard that I quit writing and working on my business completely. I still find myself crying over it on a daily basis and I am still trying to find a new normal.
On top of that, my husband and I went through some drastic changes in our work and income situation that caused months of stress and uncertainty. Layoffs, possible relocation, pay raises, pay cuts, you name it, we went through it.
Before things got really bad, we were planning for Baby #3 and I actually ended the year 8 ½ months pregnant. We were over the moon about it, but with everything that happened in the last half of the year, it was hard to be openly happy. It almost felt wrong to feel happy and excited about something when our family was going through something horrible.
Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. I quit writing and I stopped working on trying to get my business off the ground. I just didn’t have enough bandwidth to do it all. When 2019 came to a close, I told myself I would pick myself back up, I would start writing again, and I would achieve the things I set out to do. I chose “Persevere” as my word of the year and “Keep on keepin’ on” as my motto as a way to motivate myself.
2020 started off like any other year, a little hectic maybe, but what year isn’t? I wrote out my New Year’s Resolutions, I created my vision board, and I planned out my goals for the year. Then the mass chaos over the Coronavirus started. Empty shelves at the grocery stores, no toilet paper in sight, school closures, the whole world shut down for weeks, maybe months.
Now I’m not going to get into it much more than that, other than to say it is just one more thing on the plates we are all juggling.
Life happens, right?
We have to take what’s handed to us and we have to keep going. Many times we don’t have any other option, but it is what we do with it that matters.
That includes taking a break occasionally. Sometimes, stepping aside from the crazy is exactly what we need in order to come back with a fresh mind to face the chaos. There is no shame in taking a few moments for some self-care. It is, often, the best thing we can do for ourselves and those around us. How can we expect to take care of other people, especially little ones who depend on us for everything, if we don’t even take care of ourselves?
It’s Okay to Take a Break
For most of us reading this blog, writing is a form of self-care. We may complain about it and scroll the internet for cute animal memes instead of actually writing, but when we do write, it can make us feel so alive and fulfilled.
So when something that we usually enjoy becomes a chore, we become panicked and anxious. But let me tell you this, even if you normally love writing, it is okay to take a break. Maybe this pandemic has you so on edge that you can’t get a single word on the page. Or maybe, like me, you recently lost a loved one and sitting down to write makes you want to cry (really, everything makes you want to cry), or maybe there is just so much going on with the kids’ schooling that you are getting burnt out.
Take. A. Break.
It’s okay, I promise.
You will come back to it when you are ready.
Yes, I do support the idea that you should write or create SOMETHING every day, but if you really can’t bring yourself to do that, then don’t. Do something else. Practice self-care in a different way. Instead of writing, you could paint or build something. Pick up a favorite book and make yourself a nice cup of coffee. Draw, play music, sing, plant some flowers and tend to them while soaking up the sun. And when you are ready, you will WANT to pick up that pen again.
Check out this workbook to help find the time to write in your busy schedule here.
CHECK OUT THE WRITER’S PLANNER BY QUILL AND TOME!
Get the planner and organize your life and your writing!
What you can find inside:
- Plenty of writing space in a vertical layout
- Undated weekly and monthly pages you can start using any day of the year
- Reading and Writing Trackers
- Writing Tips
- and so much more!
Final Thoughts
Taking a break when life happens is OKAY. It is definitely not something you should feel guilty about or stress over. Sometimes, taking some time for yourself is the best way to help those you care for. Doing something you love will make you feel better, enabling you to put your best face forward and face the new challenges life throws at you.
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