Taking a Hiatus

I want to first say that this year has been amazing. AMAZING. I cannot remember the last time I have experience so much joy. BUT, I am exhausted. So exhausted that I've decided to cancel the rest of my year. I didn't even walk in my graduation this October because I could feel myself moving to burnout, which is difficult to recover from. 

In today's fast-paced world, the idea of taking a break can feel foreign, even indulgent. We’re constantly told to keep pushing, stay productive, and hustle harder. For the longest time, I bought into this mindset. It wasn’t until I took a hiatus—one I didn’t even know I needed—that I realized just how crucial it is to pause, reflect, and recharge. Hiatus are common for me. Typically, right before the holidays I will disappear to regroup.

At first, for me, taking a break wasn’t easy. I’m used to staying busy. Whether it's work, side projects, or social obligations, my schedule is always packed. I convinced myself that slowing down would mean falling behind. I had this irrational fear that if I stopped for even a moment, I'd lose momentum and miss out on opportunities. But the reality is quite the opposite.

When I finally decided to step away, I wasn’t burnt out in the dramatic sense, but I was exhausted. My creativity had dulled, my enthusiasm waned, and I felt like I was just going through the motions. It took some time, but I realized that I wasn’t being as effective or present as I could be. It was time to hit the pause button.

The first few days of my hiatus were tough. I felt restless, guilty even, for not being "productive." But as the days passed, I started to relax into it. My mind began to clear, and for the first time in a long while, I felt genuinely present. I wasn’t preoccupied with the next task or worrying about the future. I was simply in the moment, and it felt liberating.
The beauty of taking a hiatus is that it allows space for self-reflection. It’s like stepping out of the constant rush of life and observing everything from a distance. I started asking myself questions I hadn’t considered in years: Am I happy with where I’m heading? What am I passionate about right now? Do I need to recalibrate some goals? These are questions I couldn’t even begin to address while caught up in the daily grind and dead-end relationships.

A break also rekindles creativity and motivation. When I returned to work and my projects, I was brimming with fresh ideas and newfound energy. That feeling of being stuck had completely lifted. What I had feared—that taking time off would set me back—turned out to be the opposite. I came back sharper, more focused, and with a clearer sense of purpose.

Of course, a hiatus doesn’t have to be long to be effective. Whether it’s a few weeks, a month, or even just a weekend of unplugging, the key is to step away with the intention of truly resting and reflecting. It’s in these moments of stillness that we often find clarity.

Looking back, I can say without hesitation that taking a break was one of the best decisions I’ve made for both my personal well-being and my professional growth. It’s easy to get caught up in the culture of busyness, but true success comes from knowing when to step back, breathe, and recalibrate.

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, uninspired, or simply running on fumes, consider this your permission to take a hiatus. It’s not a sign of weakness—it’s a powerful act of self-care. And sometimes, the best way forward is to pause.