The best time to relax and take a break is when you don't have time for it," - Steven Aitchison, British writer.
We live in a time of extremes.
Either you know someone who grinds 24/7, 365 days a year, or someone who does the bare minimum and likes to sleep in.
If you're reading this article, chances are you like to aspire to be the former rather than the latter, or at least you're trying to.
Your Instagram and TikTok feeds are probably full of motivational videos showing athletes training intensely with someone yelling about how to do better in life, all while loud and intense music is blasting.
I have the same feed. And I like to think that it motivates me to do better.
These videos helped me get all my sets in at the gym, complete all my tasks, and told me that the key to success is to work hard and never take breaks because your competition will catch up to you.
It's the constant message of working like a labor animal till you drop, because that's what success is all about, right?
Wrong.
Success isn't about working till you drop dead.
Success is about living your life in accordance with what you think is humanely best and full of meaning.
While it is necessary to work hard and to put in plenty of effort in your pursuit of what is meaningful, it is also just as necessary to take a step back, take a break, and reap the benefits of your labor.
When I mean take a break, I mean to stop working, and live in the present moment, appreciating all the little things around you.
Let's say you're a college student (most of our readers are) and you work hard to get good grades, are in plenty of clubs at school, and you're an athlete. That's a lot of things you've got on your plate.
Your break would be a break from the person you've cultivated from working so hard in so many different things, to simply you for who you are without all that work.
In simple terms, detach yourself from what you do, and simply exist in the world for some time.
Maybe that means no social media for a few hours, or a few days.
Maybe that means taking a rest day from the gym to hang out with friends.
Or maybe it means to go for a walk outside under the sun and see the nature around you.
Whatever it may be, it should detach yourself from your work. That's what I mean when I say "take a break".
Unfortunately, many people do not separate themselves from their work from time to time.
Imagine working hard for your entire life, unable to see all the success and achievements you've attained simply because you never stopped to take a break.
It would be an earthly punishment, like a mini hell.
So take a break, even if it's only for a few hours.
You'll appreciate the hard work you've put in, and you'll refuel so you can work even harder and get even closer to your goals.
Pursue Alchemy, always.