Give Yourself a Break

You may have noticed it’s been awhile since we’ve been here, but I’m glad to have you back. I recently started my Junior year of college, as well as my redshirt freshman season of basketball, and let me tell you it has been keeping me busy. I love the grind of being a college athlete, but I’ve also learned a very valuable lesson this year. If you’re anything like me, taking a break can feel like anything BUT a break sometimes. Or maybe,  it may seem like there’s no possible way to even try to take a break. Ironically, I’m writing this on one of the first days I’ve had in a long time that I have nothing on the calendar. It’s a Tuesday, and I have no class or basketball obligations to attend, and my name isn’t on the work schedule. Yet, it’s days like this I used to wake up feeling more anxious than I would on a day stacked completely full. All I could think about is what’s next. I had so much time to stress about “tomorrow,” that I wasn’t taking advantage of the time to relax. My head would be consumed with “How is practice going to go, what time I need to set my alarm, what homework I will need to work on, do I need to pack food for the day?” The list could go on and on. It's a cycle that would have never ended if I didn’t figure out a new way to train my brain to let days off help me. If I’m not intentional about stopping that jumble of thoughts that take turns stressing me out, I might as well go run 5 miles, or take a big exam. Mental breaks are just as, if not MORE important than physical ones. Believe me, this has not been easy to learn, but I am so much better off. My hope is that you leave here in a few minutes feeling encouraged to give yourself some space, be present, and take more breaks so that you can be at your best.

Life throws a lot at us that requires our full attention, and best efforts. Instinctively, I think most people put themselves at the end of the line. It can be a blessing and a curse to live so unselfishly, but sometimes you need to be a little selfish, to be able to fully live up to that reputation. There are so many things that are out of our control, but also so many things that are, and controlling the controllables will make a difference in your life. For example, each week we have at least 1 day off from basketball because of NCAA rules. Earlier this year, my mindset was “an off day of basketball means I can work.” I don’t need to be working during the school year, but my job is flexible and fun, so I like to stay involved there. As nice as it is to have an opportunity to make money, I was doing more harm than good by filling up my off day with work. This was something I COULD control in my schedule, and needed to start doing. Just because I have no external obligations, doesn’t mean I’m free. For me, off days look different every week, but that’s the best thing about it. Maybe it’s a bike ride, a deep clean of the house, or a few movies and snacks on the couch. I try my hardest to not think about anything in the past or future, instead, let myself fully enjoy whatever I’m engaged in. It has become such a healthy, refreshing part of my week, and at the end of the day, I’m ready and excited to return to my normal routine. I understand that not every person’s life makes it possible to do this, but even just an hour on a random day of the week to do something that’s only for you could be so rejuvenating. I encourage you to spend at least 1 hour over the next few days, that is only for you. Don’t think about anything else, take a break from that, and see how you feel. 

This past summer I was listening to a podcast about “burnout,” specifically burnout among female college athletes. It was a very eye opening episode for me, and taught me that I was almost always experiencing some type of burnout the way I was living my life. When I first heard the word burnout, I thought it meant losing interest in something, or getting sick of what was once loved. Wrong. Burnout has nothing to do with the specific hobby or “passion,” but everything to do with the individual not getting proper rest. It’s when we aren’t able to be at our best because we are trying to be, and give 100% all the time, with no recharge button. We aren’t giving ourselves the chance to refill the cup. If you’re thinking “wow this is me,” I promise you’re not the only one, and there is such an easy fix. My favorite example is something I did way back in elementary school. My mom taught me in 3rd and 4th grade and had us do “brain breaks.” It literally was just a simple activity, like jumping jacks, to pause the work we were doing in the classroom. As a young adult, this sometimes looks like leaving 10 minutes earlier than normal so I can walk to practice instead of drive. I love calling my grandparents in between homework assignments so I get my mind on something else for a few minutes. It might not always be possible, but the less you have to go from one thing to another in a rush, the more present you’re going to be able to feel, and the more you will enjoy what you’ve been looking forward to.

My dad always used the quote “100% effort 100% of the time” when he coached his teams. I still love and agree with this quote that hangs in our basement, but this topic made me realize that there’s way more that goes into that quote than than just having that mentality. It takes work, and sometimes being a little selfish. Challenge yourself to find this balance, even if it means saving no to someone, going off the grid for an hour or two. Whatever you need to do to live your life to the fullest, and give it your all. Through it all, take breaks and recharge yourself so that you CAN give 100% effort 100% of the time.