Kelly Coons ’22 | Assistant Opinions Editor
Happy Mountain Day! Whether you were upset about having to reschedule an appointment or relieved about having more time to work on that presentation, have you noticed how the non-Smith community’s reacted to Mountain Day? Something along the lines of people expecting you to be working all the time?
Have you ever received comments like, “What are you even learning at that school?” “You’re going to college to study, not play!” Or my (least) favorite, “When I was your age…”? It sucks the fun out of your day, doesn’t it? Well, here’s the good news: They’re wrong. Taking breaks is good for you.
Thanks, Captain Obvious, you think — but don’t thank me yet. Not all breaks are created equal.
Social media breaks aren’t efficient breaks. According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, physical movement, even for a short while, is far more energizing. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Even walking suffices.
Grab a friend! Human brains crave social interaction, even those of introverts. Taking a break with a friend is great. You can even talk about the test that’s stressing you out!
Working in cycles is helpful. Experts recommend cycles of about 90 minutes. When you have regular breaks, you can avoid burnout. Consider switching to a different piece of work after your break, too, so you feel like you’re making progress towards something.
Take advantage of vacations! Not only are they amazing, but, according to the journal Applied Research In Quality of Life, they have the amazing power to increase well-being up to eight weeks before they even happen.
Naps are called powerful for a reason. They boost learning, memory, alertness, creativity and productivity. “The [30-minute] nap is particularly important for people who are tired during the day, didn’t sleep enough that night and want to supplement their sleep a little bit,” says Dr. Michael Breus of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and The American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Bonus fact: A 90-minute nap can improve your memory just as well as eight hours of sleep. Don’t use that as an excuse to pull an all-nighter, though.
Breaks are essential to the well-being of all workers: from children in elementary school to people in their 9-to-5s. Sadly, the United States is behind the rest of the developed world in this facet of workers’ rights. The non-profit Workplace Fairness reports that while regions like Australia and the European Union require that employers provide their employees at least 20 days of paid vacation, in the United States, employers are not obligated to give even one under federal law. Manufacturing.net reports that while most employees end up getting at least 10 days, these vacations are at the mercy of the company.
So appreciate vacations like Mountain Day, and the next time your family gets on your case about taking breaks, remind them that they deserve a break, too.
