Taking a Break
The etymology of the word break is from Old English brecan meaning “to divide solid matter violently into parts or fragments” or “the act of forcible disruption or separation”.(etymonline.com)
Teachers look forward to Christmas break, Spring break, Summer break, Fall break, Winter break and so on.
Some people feel that teachers get too many “breaks” and that they don’t deserve them or need them. They see these breaks really as an excess of “vacation” time that other professions unfairly don’t get.
The fact is that teachers keep working and working and working until they experience an “act of forcible disruption or separation.”
This could be in the form of a seasonal break like Spring Break. Many teachers do travel during this time in order to have a change of scenery and get out of their isolation in the classroom.
Many teachers also do not travel during Spring break and are happy to cocoon at home and enjoy all the little things that bring them great joy, but that they do not have time to do while in school…like reading, taking long walks on the beach, catching up on their latest TV shows, slowly sipping on a HOT cup of tea and listening to the birds sing outside their window…
Why do we wait until there is an “act of forcible disruption or separation” before we take a break?
And more importantly, why is there so much guilt around taking a break?
Should’t teachers, heck – all of us! – give ourselves the permission and opportunities to disrupt the daily demands of life and separate ourselves from the routines that may be keeping us from growing and moving forward?
We should make time for breaks and create positive, healthy beliefs about their value.
Mental breaks from the same thought patterns that keep us stuck and that stunt our growth and keep us in negative self-talk loops.
Physical breaks from just standing or sitting in the same place all day, every day and eating the same foods day after day.
A disruption in routine is healthy because it gives us opportunities to enjoy something new and light up our brain cells for new experiences, learning and growing.
A separation from the every day demands and routines help us to step back and take a look at things from a different perspective and vantage point so that we can look to the horizon and imagine new possibilities or maybe just even look around us and finally notice the things that were there all along, but that we didn’t take the time to notice.
So, maybe McDonald’s slogan wasn’t so bad or obscure after all…
“You deserve a break today” Teachers, you deserve to take breaks…guilt free. Enjoy!
“Give me a break…in the pool” by tom@hk is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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