I'm Better with a Break

What I Learned In School Today: I’m so much more productive after a break.

We are back from a short Thanksgiving break and I feel refreshed. The time leading up to Thanksgiving is filled with parent-teacher conferences and report cards, both of which are significant stressors. We now have four full weeks of school to be productive and have some fun before our winter break.

The long weekend reminded me of the importance of taking a break. This weekend was not restful for me (everyone in the house was passing around a cold and stomach bug), but it forced me to get my mind off work and on to something else. We all need brain breaks. That can be a short movement break when you’ve been sitting in front of a computer for too long, working on a different project when you are stuck on an assignment, or taking a day or two when you consciously avoid thinking about work or school.

I am significantly more productive when I take breaks. As someone who occasionally does his best work before 6:00 AM or after 9:00 PM, I am confident the work will get done, but it doesn’t have to be during standard business hours. Education isn’t a 9:00 to 5:00 job and taking advantage of the time to think about something else allowed me to return productively.