The Spring Break We All Need

This week for many schools is spring break. When you were younger I’m sure your thoughts were the typical spring break partying on the beaches of Miami or on Lake Tahoe.

In my neighborhood spring break means no school for the kids and the perfect time to go camping.

But for many of us, it’s just another week. Hopefully one without much traffic as we head into work or visit our favorite coffee spot.

If Spring Break signifies the break of a school period where kids have been working hard for 3 months and now need a well deserved break from the hard work of going to school…

Then what kind of lesson can we learn from this as adults?

The first thought is, where can we take a break this spring?  Maybe it’s a break from the monotony of work or the break from the stress of it. Maybe it’s a break from your kids and family or a break from  spouse. Maybe it’s a break from yourself and your thoughts.

The lesson of the break is to take a moment and breathe. But really what’s the takeaway? The point of Spring Break for a kid is very clear. For kids, the takeaway is no homework and play for a week. But what’s it does is poignant. It rejuvenates them and fills their battery so that they can go back and manage school for another 2-3 months until school is out again.

If the break from work, the family, spouse or ourselves is taken, then what we do with that time is important. If we learn from our younger selves, we would find ways to rejuvenate and fill our tanks. Maybe time away from the family for you is a walk in nature on your own or time spent with your dog. Maybe getting away from work means spending time with the family, sitting at home playing video games or deep cleaning your home. Maybe a break means to meditate, spend time in the garden, head out on retreat, read a good book or dance your butt off.

The important thing here is to come back refreshed from the break and have a tank filled, a battery replenished. If not, then you why did you  need a break in the first place?  The work we do, the families we have, the thoughts we think are all very important, just as important as the time we take to fill our batteries and replenish it all.

Too bad we didn’t learn that in school. :)

Cheers

JG