Why Balancing With Breaks Is Important for Your Spiritual Soul
We all get overwhelmed sometimes. We have personal, professional and family stresses. At times, we cannot bear it all and it’s just too much.
“Can you present this at the mosque?” Sure! “Can you stay late in the office tonight?” Of course. “Can you help with my presentation?” Yes, why not.
At some point, we get in a toxic habit of saying yes to everything without realizing what we are agreeing to. But sometimes we just need a break. I know I often feel guilty saying no. “I’m being selfish; they need help.” It’s easy to fall into this trap. When it comes to work involving faith, the guilt is double-edged. You feel like you’re letting God and your community down. But the truth is, you’re not.
To feel spiritually inclined, we need to do just that — feel. If we over work ourselves just mindlessly working like robots, whether that is secular or spiritual work, we won’t get much out of it. For many of us, involvement in our local church or mosque offers us a spiritual connection and gives us a balance in life. It’s also a guide and sense of purpose of why we do what we do. God is loving. He cares, and the God I’ve grown up with and know would rather you take a break than push yourself over the edge. And once you are recharged, you will come back refreshed and ready to grow and develop.
Even God reminds us to take it easy when it all gets too much. The Qur’an states, “God burdens not any soul beyond its capacity,” (2:287). It’s okay to take a break when you need one. It’s okay to say no every once in a while. It’s okay to take a break and recharge.
So how do you find a moment to recharge when there’s literally no time to take a break?
- Communicate- It’s important to not hold all of your emotions in or you’ll go crazy. Share that you are feeling overwhelmed and ask for help. There’s no shame in letting people around you know you can’t do something. And that includes talking to God in your own way and letting Him know it’s getting a bit too much. Trust me; you’ll feel a lot better.
- Be honest- Along with communication, be honest with yourself and others and particularly with yourself on knowing your limits. We’re humans after all, not super heroes. Honesty means acknowledging what you can and cannot do and being willing to admit when you can’t do something. It’s okay to let go. It’s also okay to admit you’ve done too much. Let people around you know so you can come up with a strategy to get things done or consolidate the work for someone else. Being honest means remembering you’re just a person and it’s okay to not always be in a state of perfection.
- Accommodate- Look, a lot of times our own poor time management will put us into overwhelming situations. Are you marathoning a show on Netflix when you have an exam or when your mosque meeting needs you to present a topic at Sunday school? Don’t do that. When you need to make a presentation at your mosque meeting and remembered you volunteered to bring dessert but you’re short on time, it’s okay to buy a cake instead of baking one. It’s the thought that counts after all.
- Relax- Yes actually take the break you need. That means not staying home to be on your phone. Maybe you’ll bake something, read a magazine or a book, take a walk or go for a jog, grab an ice cream or just have a coffee by yourself. Whatever it is put yourself in a different situation away from all of your other responsibilities. Even if it’s just 10 minutes between tasks, every mental recharge will have a positive impact. You will come back to school, work and faith activities in a motivated and energized state.
Here’s to all of us living our best and balanced lives!
