Did you know that ⅓ of U.S. adults take DAILY naps? And that men are more fond of naps than women typically (Mayo Clinic, 2020)? There are several benefits to taking a nap. This can include using them as a way to relax, reduce fatigue (of course), improve mood, and increase alertness.

This routine created an unhealthy balance in my life. I worked and worked and worked. And then just stopped. Sleep and repeat. Day after day. I didn’t make time for any play. Nothing fun. No hobbies. No unscheduled shenanigans. I may have felt like I was getting enough rest because I was getting a good amount of sleep, but I was still very much off balance. 

I’m also not talking about the kind of breaks that involve eating a sugary snack or looking at Instagram or Facebook. A break that is going to help is completely shifting your focus from the subject you’re working on. This break should also involve something that will bring positive emotions.

Everyone is a leader in some capacity because we have influence (even if only a little) over other people. And it's a bit sobering to think that your influence in another person's life can impact their growth and success as a person. In other words, people's lives can be better because of you. 

“It helped.” No one else said anything until Damien brought up the football game from the other night. They played until Parker’s dad opened the front door and yelled that it was time for dinner. That night in bed Marcos couldn’t stop thinking about what Parker had said, that it had helped. Could it really help him too?

Despite my complete inability to play, I really enjoyed learning, and it became one of my all-time favorite hobbies. But playing (kind of) guitar was something I fell into for all the wrong reasons. So how do you choose a hobby that is perfect for you? 

I recently discovered something that I knew all along. I know what you’re thinking. That doesn’t make any sense. Let me explain. Have you ever believed something that you weren’t entirely sure was accurate until someone much more intelligent than you verified for you what you already thought to be the case? 

I knew it! Social media is not reality. But wait, we already knew that. But then why do we so needlessly get sucked into believing people are posting accurate representations of their lives? We tell ourselves that what we are seeing is not reality, but there is still this tiny voice in the back of our minds trying to convince us otherwise. And then we go and listen to it. 

Why? 

it appear like gold although it isn’t. Hence the name. I didn’t know it at the time, but there was a valuable lesson waiting to be learned while we scanned that gravel path during recess and it had nothing to do with minerals. Unfortunately, friends can come in the fool's gold variety too.

I wish this weren’t the case, but until you’re an adult, there are things you may not have a say in that will always drain you. That was the case for me as a teenager with my parents visitation schedule after their divorce. Packing and switching homes every week was exhausting in a way that went bone deep.

Several years ago, in my days as a teacher, a group of students bought me some Legos for my birthday. But these were not just any old Legos. This was Marvel’s Helicarrier from the Avengers movie--one of my favorites. I’m talking 3000 pieces of Lego bliss, more than 100 pages of instructions, and easily a few hundred dollars to purchase. I know what you’re thinking. My students are outstanding. And you would be right. 

Over the long haul, LOLing has even more benefits! It has the power to boost your immune system, help you feel more connected, and improve your mood (Mayo Clinic, 2021). There’s a yiddish proverb that says, “What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.” Nothing wipes the slate clean or gives us that feeling of a fresh start like a good, strong laugh.

The skit featured comedian and satirist, Al Franken. Stuart, played by Franken, was famous for his gaze in a mirror and repeating the phrase, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it people like me." So just imagine learning about the idea of self-affirmation while Stuart Smalley was gaining in popularity. 

Nowadays, I love a good podcast. Some of the first podcasts I listened to had to do with the field I am in - genetics. Because genetics is rapidly changing, podcasts have been a way for me to stay up-to-date on what is new in the field without having to read tons of articles all the time. I also have really enjoyed true crime podcasts. I love shows like Bones, and so finding podcasts that dive into a murder case or serial killer story always interests me. Plus, I learn what situations I should not get myself into where I could get hurt.

Sometimes not working becomes the actual work. Sometimes resting is not as easy as it once was. But does that mean we give up? Not even a little. It means we remove the stigma of stopping, and we retrain our brains to remember the sheer joy of doing nothing. I know what you're thinking: "That's a lot easier said than done." Maybe that's true, but what prevents us from simply enjoying and appreciating doing nothing is that we allow our tasks to captivate our attention more than rest. 

Think back to right before your last vacation. What were you feeling as you prepared to hit the road or head to the airport? Excitement? Adventure? Maybe even a little restless? You may not know how to describe it, but you probably know that feeling - the anticipation of knowing you’re going to see someplace new and have fun experiences. Shortly after, you go on the trip and have a blast. But after a few days or weeks, it must come to an end. That’s when another feeling hits. 

About 4 months later, we ran a half marathon. She had easily convinced me to join her in training. We’d found a training plan that didn’t look that bad, I had already been exercising so how hard could it be to add in running, and it gave us an excuse to spend more time together. I didn’t expect to fall in love with it, though. Who would want to run so much and so far? 

Question of the day: what if we never stopped growing? Physically, I mean. What if, for our entire lives, we were on a continual growth track that pointed in one direction: up. Well for one thing I’d imagine that there’d probably need to be elevators everywhere. Stores, restaurants, and schools would need to accommodate the shorter populace and the tallest. Maybe we’d utilize outdoor spaces more. I don’t have a clue how transportation or cars would work!

There are times when my heart begins beating fast, my mind starts racing, and I break out in a nervous sweat. It may seem that the cause of these symptoms would be from doing something challenging, such as taking a test or perhaps giving an important presentation. However, more often than not, these effects take place in my body shortly after scrolling through news articles online. 

This quickly changed again when I got to college, was pretty broke, and took an ethics class that changed my mind on some of my favorite stores because of how they got their clothing. I started hitting up Goodwill, etc. again. At this point in life, I can find just about anything I need through thrifting; although, I do visit places like TJ Maxx and Marshalls frequently as well - new clothes at discounted prices!