Why Taking a Break Is Important

You may have noticed I’ve been absent on Twitter recently, or that my last two posts were further apart than my usual posting schedule. In short – I took a break; an unintentional one to be honest, but essentially, “life happened”. Social commitments piled up and I became sick with a stomach bug, followed by a mild case of hyponatremia (low sodium levels in the blood). Which is often seen in athletes but also common after a stomach bug – due to dehydration.

Thankfully I’m on the mend and a break, however unintentional, definitely helped with that.

So if you’re feeling burnt out, sick or simply lacking motivation, I’d like you to remember that it’s more than OK to take a break if you need it, and here’s why.

Why taking a break is important?

To relax and unwind

You might have a lot going on in your life at the moment (like the past couple of weeks I’ve had), and everyone needs some time off to relax once in a while. Whether that’s from blogging, work or something else. So do something nice for you – like a relaxing bubble bath, some colouring or even painting your nails.

There are often so many things pulling us in many directions and it’s more than OK to take some time away from that, if you need it. In fact without a break your more likely to experience stress and burn out, which leads me to my next point.

You get sick

Whether that’s a pyshical or mental illness, it doesn’t matter. What matters is you take time to heal yourself; that could be time out from blogging or calling in sick to work.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll experience guilt when calling in sick to work. I’ll feel lazy, unreliable and selfish, or that I’m letting my colleagues down. Of course none of that is true. They’d all rather I got myself well and didn’t infect the whole office! lol.

Putting pressure on yourself when you’re not well is not going to help you get better. The best thing you can do is to relax and nurture yourself.

You Feel Stressed

Similar to getting sick, if you find yourself feeling stressed it’s important to take a break from the thing causing it. Not only will it help prevent burn out, but it will give you a great opportunity to reflect and find out what’s really important to you.

To Disconnect from Social Media

I think it’s fair to say that in recent years being online has become the norm, and with so many social media platforms out there, there’s an expectation to connect with others. From responding to tweets, posting photos on Instagram and catching up on Facebook, it can be very overwhelming. Which is why disconnecting can be so invaluable.

Last year I stopped using Facebook for a few months and instantly felt less pressure. I didn’t feel the need to post about my trips, I wasn’t bombarded with images of others seemingly perfect lives, and most importantly, I had time to heal.

You’ve lost interest

As bloggers we all suffer from writers block but if you find yourself really losing interest in your blog. Take a break. If and when you return you’ll (hopefully) feel more refreshed, maybe with some new ideas or inspiration and ready to start writing again.

Blogging aside if your other hobbies aren’t fulfilling you anymore, try taking a break from them or switching up your routine. You’ll soon learn what you love because you miss doing and should learn to enjoy it again.

To spend time with people you love

If you often find yourself cancelling on friends or family often to catch up on work commitments, it sounds like you need some time off to reconnect with them.

Send a text, call them, or organise a day or evening out doing something you and your loved one both enjoy. For me and my friend Kelly that usually involves baking or binge watching chick flicks on Netflix. Having that time together should help you to relax, have fun and get away from the office for a while.

Whatever your reason, everyone deserves a break and it’s more than OK to take some time off, even from blogging. Of course the length of your break is entirely up to you (although you may want to check your work’s holiday policy!), and you certainly shouldn’t feel guilty or ashamed for taking care of yourself. That’s one of the hardest things I’ve had to learn myself.

What do you think? Have you ever taking a break from blogging? Or something else?

23 Comments

  • How I'm Embracing Body Positivity * – Chimmyville

    June 25, 2020 at 07:55

    […] think self-love and self-care go hand in hand, and that sometimes we all need a break and to take care of ourselves. So, take a day or even a few hours and focus on yourself. A relaxing […]

  • Cora @ Tea Party Princess

    September 10, 2019 at 15:37

    I love this!
    I ended up taking an unplanned and extended break earlier this year and it did me the world of good. It was like I found who I was again.
    Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/

  • Ellie

    August 13, 2019 at 15:57

    It is always so great to take a break from socials. I went away for a long weekend and just got back today – whilst I was away I completely zoned and did not touch anything blog related! Felt so good and now I get to come back to all my interactions which I love – but I feel so engaged now and ready to goooo! ♥

  • Tiffany

    August 4, 2019 at 05:33

    I am so glad to see this is normal and you’re right…life happens!

    I just started a new role within my company and blogging has not been my main focus so I, too, have been behind.

    Happy to see you are feeling a lot better now, though, and can’t wait to read more of your posts!!

  • Nyxie

    August 1, 2019 at 20:37

    We all need to be able to step back and take a break every so often to prevent burnout. I now step back every night my boyfriend is off work so we can just hang out together and watch TV, or go out, or play video games. I used to be on my blog everynight, and now it’s only about 3 nights aweek. I still work on it every day, but those 4 nights off make all the difference.

  • Jenny in Neverland

    August 1, 2019 at 19:58

    Awh sorry to hear you’ve been unwell! Hope you’re feeling much better. I took a break for a couple of days a few weeks ago – I felt ill too and everything was getting too much. I find it difficult as blogging is my job, I can’t afford to really take a lengthy break. Although I wouldn’t want to right now anyway. But it’s important to know that 1 or 2 days won’t hurt and sometimes it’s needed!

  • ThatAutisticFitChick

    August 1, 2019 at 18:08

    I’m just coming back from a bit of a break myself with being ill. I still forced content out because I’m not yet feeling established enough to not do so, but I’ve not been promoting so much or participating in comment threads because I’ve just not had the focus (and that’s frustrated me, I’ve missed my community!)

    I hope you’re feeling better and more you again, and that you continue with a pattern that helps you to feel more settled <3

  • Aaliyah

    August 1, 2019 at 17:34

    I totally agree that we need to all take a break sometimes fir our sanity. I took a break when I went on holiday and it was nice being away but it was also great when I got back as I had so much more motivation! X

  • what corinne did

    August 1, 2019 at 17:29

    Not taking a break is so bad. It’s like when you eat to much cake, you have an indigestion. You need breaks to keep enjoying what you do!

  • Sophie Naylor

    August 1, 2019 at 17:16

    I think once it feels like you’re forcing yourself to upload, engage and create, maybe it’s time to take a break. Loved this post – super helpful and reminded me to check in with my own mental health and reasons I’m blogging. x

  • Merthyr Mammy

    August 1, 2019 at 17:13

    A great reminder one I often forget myself. Its sometimes hard when life and work gets in the way. Note to self think about me first more

  • Jaya Avendel

    July 30, 2019 at 22:26

    Taking a break is such a great way to have your eyes opened to all the unnecessary things one does in a day and come back to it with new intentions
    While taking a break might seem daunting, I found I did not miss half as much of what I expected to and it felt good to come back to my writing with fresh eyes and reevaluate what was important to me.

  • Emily

    July 29, 2019 at 23:38

    Hi Kim! I think taking a break can be so important! As much as I love blogging, I do feel like it can take time away from other things I like, like reading, spending times with family and friends, and even just time to myself- even though I blog FOR myself, hahaha.

    I’m sorry you had to take a break because of “life,” so I hope you’re feeling better <3 I'm glad you're back to blogging though! This post was such a great reminder that breaks are self care!

    Emily | https://www.thatweirdgirllife.com

  • Lainy SMBSLT

    July 29, 2019 at 12:52

    *hugs* you are the 2nd person who has had low sodium recently and had to take time out. I think self care is such a huge thing, we cannot pour from an empty cup xxx

    Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net

  • Amy

    July 29, 2019 at 09:21

    The bit about checking your works holiday policy made me laugh 🙂 But you are so right, it’s important to take a break every now and then to recharge. I took an unintentional break from writing this week. I really missed blogging, but I just had no energy and felt so ill every day. The break seems to have done me some good because I now have 4 posts ready to go up 🙂

  • Meaghan

    July 26, 2019 at 02:44

    Yes! I completely agree. I took a year off blogging unintentionally, and it was pretty nice if I’m being honest. I didn’t have to worry about posting new content or anything, but I did miss it quite a bit.

    1. Kim

      July 29, 2019 at 09:03

      That’s the thing about a break, you’ll soon learn if you love it by how much you miss it. I think. Thanks for your comment lovely. x

  • Sophie Wentworth

    July 25, 2019 at 22:45

    I’ve only ever taken little breaks with prescheduled content, I’ve never taken proper time off (yet). It’s so important that you take it when you need it though, blogger burnout is real! x

    Sophie
    http://www.glowsteady.co.uk

    1. Kim

      July 29, 2019 at 09:03

      Completely agree with you Sophie, it’s very easy to work yourself too hard. I know many people that think they’d be lazy for taking a break! x

  • Lauren

    July 25, 2019 at 19:17

    These are such great reasons why you should take a break. I definitely am not on social media as much as I used to be, I am just a bit more mindful about how much pressure I put on myself for numbers and keeping up with everything. Thank you for sharing this Kim! Xxx

    1. Kim

      July 29, 2019 at 09:01

      Thanks for your comment Lauren. I think we all put a lot of pressure on ourselves at times. xx

  • Britt

    July 25, 2019 at 16:00

    This is so true – and it’s the reason that I always reply to any messages I see from bloggers apologizing for being away for a while reminding them that they have nothing to apologize for.
    I hope you’re feeling much better!

    1. Kim

      July 29, 2019 at 08:59

      Thanks Britt. I’m feeling loads better now. 🙂 It’s something I used to apologise for all the time when I first started blogging.

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