Taking a Break

By Fatma Bujsaim (@FatmaBujsaim)

Spring, winter, Eid and summer break, are all holidays that most of us look forward to throughout the year. However, summer break has always been different (to me at least). It marks the end of an academic year for students, and it means a very long holiday.
Summer break is special. To start with, it means sun-lovers get to tan most of the day, book-lovers can finally catch up on some intensive reading. Also, Dubai-an’s have the summer surprises with all the different activities and discounts in the shopping malls.
A break is when a person takes time off from whatever he/she does: a getaway or a holiday. People, especially workaholics, every now and then need to take breaks from the things they do, whether it was for a day or two, or for a week & more.
Summer break is one of the most important holidays because it is the longest, and to many people: the most rewarding, because they get to travel and leave all their worries behind them. When travelling, people tend to unleash their inner-self and unconsciously try to have fun to the fullest knowing that this experience has an expiry date and it will not last forever; with that, every moment is cherished.
People can still leave everything behind by shutting off their brains from everything work/academic-related, and this is a skill people learn by practice and persistence. Blocking ones mind and thoughts can be a privilege at times and not always a dilemma like mentioned in one of my previous articles.
Taking this long break is possibly one of the most refreshing things a person could do, especially after a long time of hard work and stress. People come back stronger, motivated, energized, and refreshed. They are more focused and their minds are clearer which means the work-production will be better and more consistent.
As a student, if I do not have this long holiday, I would seriously be depressed and my mood would be messed up because of all the continuous work I will have to finish. The summer break is simply my savior from all the stress and my gateway to have a social life again.
Not everyone has the privilege of traveling or having a summer, but people can still find ways and time to take a break from everything, such as the weekend, or an annual leave. What a person does on his break is completely up to him/her and the outcome is his/her own responsibility. So be wise with how you spend your holiday and try to make the best of it, whether it was for a day or for three months. People need to take a break, and it is undeniable that they need it both physically and mentally.

July 2011 – The 16^th issue:
Here We Start – Special Contribution – Community Talk – Just Another Undergrad
Living Through the Eyes of Art – Society of Tomorrow – The Mind’s Eye – To The Point