Minisode

Know When to Take a Break

Do you know when it’s time to take a break? We talk about why, how, and when to recharge – and the short season break we’re taking for the next few weeks.

 

We are taking a few weeks off from making full episodes so we can focus on planning new episodes and other projects. We’ll be back with full episodes in early October. But we won’t disappear from your feed in September! We’ll release new minisodes every two weeks on our regular schedule. And we’ll be sending out a simplified newsletter in between episodes, so be sure to sign up to stay in the loop.

In the meantime, here are a few simple ways you can keep in touch and show some love for Semi-Together (thank you in advance!):

1. Share the podcast with one friend you think would enjoy it and find it helpful.

Word-of-mouth recommendations make such a big difference to our finding new listeners – and we hope it’ll also be a thoughtful gift for someone you care about.

2. Weigh in on upcoming episodes.

Sign up for our newsletter. In the next one we send out (on Wednesday, August 28), we’ll be including a poll on future episode topics – and we’d love your input, so make sure to sign up before then!

3. Follow us on social media.

Semi-Together is on Facebook and Instagram, and you can also follow us individually on Instagram: Melia is @meliadicker and Gill is @travelingtotaste.

Steal This Tip

In each minisode, we’ll be sharing a Steal This Tip, and our tip this time is: Know when to take a break. We thought about this because we have both been go-go-go all summer, and even our trips have been pretty high energy.

We both have a tendency to want to do a lot all the time, and we can sometimes forget that taking a break is essential for our mental and physical well-being.

We highly recommend this Scientific American article, Why Your Brain Needs More Downtime: “Research on naps, meditation, nature walks and the habits of exceptional artists and athletes reveals how mental breaks increase productivity, replenish attention, solidify memories and encourage creativity.”

So when do we most need breaks and what do we do to recharge?

When Melia is focused on a project or task, she tends to barrel through and ignore her body, to the point where she doesn’t even realize that she’s tired, hungry or thirsty. But when she makes herself step away to meet those needs, she comes back with renewed energy.

Gill tries to remember that she’s no good to anyone – at work or in my personal life – if she’s exhausted and depleted. In general, when she needs to recharge, she’ll carve out more unscheduled time – to sleep, read, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, cook, watch Netflix. Basically, she gives herself permission to say “no” to things.

The “know when to take a break” tip is also useful for conflict. Relationship expert John Gottman talks about what’s called flooding, when your brain goes into fight or flight mode and you can’t think straight. The antidote is self-soothing and getting your body back to baseline, by taking a break for at least 20 minutes if you’re truly flooded. When this happens to Melia, she puts on a podcast and cleans, which she finds meditative.

Both Gill and Melia like to listen to their favorite songs when they need to recharge or get past a bad mood. Their shared Spotify playlists, Melia & Gill’s Mood-Shifting Music and Songs We’re Loving Right Now, are in heavy rotation.

Get In Touch

When do you most need to take a break, and what helps you recharge your batteries? Email us at podcast[at]semitogether.com or send us a voice memo. And sign up for our e-newsletter to stay in the loop during our upcoming break from full episodes.

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