In an ideal world, a long, rejuvenating break would bring about a strong urge to return to the security of daily routines. With the mind aching for the comforts of reality, an individual would quickly rejoin society and devotedly immerse themselves in work, school, or any other organized efforts. 

Unfortunately, the story does not always flow so smoothly. Having to settle back into the rhythms of day to day life after taking time off can seem quite disappointing, if not tricky for many people. A desire to escape the typical day to day grind and perhaps revisit bliss can overwhelm any excitement for new beginnings, resulting in half-hearted, unruly behaviors that ultimately manifest themselves into poor habits.

Coming off of a break, it is ever so important to be mindful. There is happiness to be found in day to day life; it is not only found through vacation and extended periods of time off! Set yourself up for satisfaction and accomplishment by considering your behaviors, ensuring that a longing to cheat time does not overrun the present. Don’t mull over moments too much, just maintain positive habits that feel sustainable. 

For instance, you deserve breaks in which you can fully unwind, not guilt-ridden moments stolen from long, anxiety-provoking homework sessions. Take care of yourself and put in the effort to check in, establishing healthy routines that will ultimately become easier and easier to follow as time goes on.

Noticeably, individuals often revert to certain habits, and to each their own. These habits can be viewed as part of set routines; you may need to work to overrun them as you establish new ones.

It can be tricky to do this. Behaving in accordance with long-held routines can seem favorable; when completing a task calls for less consideration, the cognitive load is lower. So, doing something in the same way as usual in lieu of putting in extra effort to step out of the ordinary, learn, and make decisions can be draining. Eventually, you can lighten the load of an unfamiliar function by working it into your routine, but you may find momentary resistance.

Yield your self-will mindfully, as trying to resist too much at once can lead to burnout. It’s perfectly fine to not be quite ready to do things as envisioned, or to fail; just keep working towards the establishment of routines that serve you. Break time is great, but there is certainly pleasure to take in typical days, too!

Image Courtesy of Alexandre Godreau on Unsplash

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Develop Good Habits