Bringing back recess
Remember recess? Getting the chance to run around, have a snack, chat with friends, play tag in the middle of the school day? Sometimes recess was even two times per day.
But nowadays, somewhere around middle school, there’s no more recess. Lunch time is shorter and there’s no time for play and certainly nothing that involves snacks.
Americans live in a recreational culture but don’t give our kids a one-hour lunch break or the opportunity to decompress at an educational water cooler — somethings we’re always giving ourselves.
As a work-at-home writer, I self-impose recess, maybe even indulge in one hopscotch game too many on any given day.
In my effort to prove that I’m GonnaWriMo this month, I finished a project the other day in six non-stop hours where I didn’t answer the phone or check email or eat or drink or pee (last two not so good, I know). I gave up recess for the greater good, but in the long run I’d have been better off taking a break and not burning out that day…which I did.
I also find that after a certain point in any story or project, I need to put it aside, if only for a moment. I step away as the writing congeals, the flavors marry (to quote my favorite tv chefs) and when I come back from recess everything looks and tastes different and I’m ready to get back to business.
Do you need a break in the middle of a project – one or two? None or a few? How do you get back to business after you’ve finished up or closed the dot doc for the day?
And are you proving that you are GonnaWriMo this month? So far, so good, for me — and it’s already October 3!
GonnaWriMo month is going well for me too. I’ve actually kind of got a schedule going and 3 different projects to focus on. I rotate – 1 per night. I tend to only write for 3 hours or so before going to bed so “recess” doesn’t really play into it. But often just running to the bathroom and then brewing another pot of tea is enough to get the blood flowing again!! Six hours is impressive!! Glad your writing is going well!!
I give myself permission for many recesses and naptime too. Writing and editing going well this month…around all the “have to” things in life. Congrats on your strides, but DO take a potty break now and then, as taught in school.
A lot of people with normal jobs, work through lunch and grab a sandwich at their desk. So they don’t really get recess either. If I had a company that employed people at a physical location, we would have recess. We’d all have lunch at one time in a cafeteria where we could be social. Every day we’d have a drawing, to see who got a random day off, and we’d go through until everybody got a random day off, then start again.
I do try to take breaks.I schedule in things like exercise, and house cleaning and cooking, to get me away from my desk. Since I don’t go to an office, taking a shower is a break from work also.