Many of us at some point in time in our lives intend to take a break from our work life but circumstances don’t really allow us to.
‘How will I manage my finances’
‘What if I can never find a job again?’
‘How will I justify a gap in my CV?’
A lot of insecurities nag us and then we continue with our daily run-of -the-mill work and chores.
It has been over six months that I decided to take a break from work. There are some days when I wonder if that was the right decision. But deep down I know very well that this has probably the best decision that I have ever made in my life.
On the personal front, got a lot of time to spend with my family which I probably wouldn’t have experienced if I was busy with work. I had almost forgotten about work, not quite.
On the contrary, as I thought of resuming work again, I began to reflect on all the work I had done. I sat talking to a few recruiters and as we spoke about a few areas I thought, ‘oh yes, I have done that why hadn’t I thought of that’, ‘That tool, yes I know it can be a monster’. Slowly it was all coming back to me. And even better it was because it eventually started becoming very clear to me on what to focus on.
Had I continued with what I was doing, I probably wouldn’t have got a chance to reflect on the work that I had accomplished. That is because most of us do not have the luxury of time. Our daily activities at work and home barely give us any time to do so. These day to day chores cloud our brains and make us forget who we are and what we are actually capable of.
Hang on a minute, I am not an advocate for sabbaticals and it is not my intention that every one reading this must immediately think of taking a sabbatical for long periods of 
time. What I am talking about is a break which could be just a few days where you can take your mind away from the routine. It could even be those short coffee breaks at work. It is something that can stimulate your mind to think and reflect rather than going on like a robot.
Take a break! Because
- a break helps you look at your life with a fresh pair of eyes (and mind)
- one can reflect on what all they have worked on and then prioritise on what he/she really wants to do in the future ( instead of being stuck in an every day routine with no time to think and reflect)
- you can focus your energies on how to achieve what you want to do
- you begin to appreciate the mysteries that life unravels
- last but not the least, it relaxes your mind and gets you ready for the adventure called life
So that is when it starts to get clear and the clouds disappear and then you don’t have to worry about justifying that gap on your CV or finding another work or managing your finances.
-DV
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