Why You Should Really Take a Time Out
By Genevieve Cunningham
We’ve all heard of a time out. While most of us associate it with a misbehaving child, a timeout can be beneficial for children and adults alike. But we’re not talking about timeouts as punishment, but rather time outs that allow us to breathe, relax, and refocus. If you’re not already taking advantage of this important tool in your life, take a look at these reasons to add regular timeouts to your life.
A Break Allows You to Calm Down
Even if you don’t feel particularly worked up, a timeout from whatever you’re doing allows your body and mind to calm down for a few minutes. At work, this might mean lower levels of stress and a better mood. At home, this might mean greater patience with your kids or better sleep. Taking just one or two scheduled breaks every day, breaks that allow you to breathe deep and relax the mind, can improve your quality of life and sense of stress.
A Quick Time Out Can Improve Your Focus
Once we’re grown, we rarely hear much about attention spans. But the truth is that even adults have a limited amount of time that they can pay attention. Taking a timeout can help you take a mental breather, and then when you get back to your task at hand, your attention will be back as well. Your brain will have had a chance to think about something else or nothing at all. If you need to refocus your attention, taking a quick breather is an excellent way to do it.
It Can Improve Your Mood
There’s nothing worse for your well-being than to be overly stressed and taxed. But if you’re on the move or working nonstop without any breaks, you’ll definitely feel that way at the end of the day. But if you’ll take just a few timeouts during your day, you may feel that overworked, super-stressed feeling subside. And this can leave you in a better mood, which you and all of your acquaintances throughout the day will appreciate.
If you’re not already using breaks throughout the day, it’s really time to start. It’s such an easy way to boost your health and wellness. If you need a small and easy way to make life just a little bit easier, take a quick timeout every day.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.