taking breaks

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, an 18 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

this publication is a place for me to reflect on productivity, health and tech, and drop unique opportunities in the space right to your inbox daily. if you’re new here, sign up to tune in! 💌 

btw, feel free to reply with topic ideas you want me to write about for future posts.

onto today’s topic: taking breaks 💤 

hustle culture is so real. even more so now that i’m in sf.

to me, “yeah, i grind code 18 hours a day,” isn’t really a flex — it just shows you don’t hold the reigns of your own life.

taking breaks and touching grass is so important for the longevity of your work and passion. it’s hard to prioritize breaks when they don’t feel productive. when they feel like a waste of time.

breaks need to be intentional and genuinely rejuvenating. scrolling through instagram or tiktok isn’t a break. it just fills your brain with even more clutter, and you feel even more drained by the end of it.

even breaks can be “productive” and “unproductive,“ and doom scrolling on social media is the latter. a productive break includes something like meditating, going on a walk, indulging in a hobby, or even just taking a nap. they should feed your soul & energy. 🔋 

you might say, “but, my work gives me energy and feeds my soul.”

BE FOR REAL.

it might, but your brain isn’t the only thing that needs energy (even that has other parts of it that need to be reenergized) — your body does too.

give yourself some grace.

it’s okay to be mindless some times.

head empty.

no thoughts. 💭 

but of course, you can’t justify taking a break 24/7. it’s challenging to find a good balance, but the same way you (hopefully) block in your meals, it can also be done for breaks and taking rest.

one easy way to track it is getting enough sleep. 3 hours doesn’t cut it, and neither does 5. sleep sets the energy bar, and breaks keep it bumped up to max potential throughout the day.

take care of yourself. :)

do you take breaks from your work?

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