It was about 1 AM and I had a breakdown. That moment when it’s just tears and a yell that can barely get out in between wheezing. When the very last nerve got hit and everything came rolling out at once. Months of frustrations, staying busy, acting like I didn’t care, trying to just get through each day.

How many of us sometimes steamroll over key events and experiences in our lives in the name of survival? (raises hand).

Did you know that my fiance and I are planning a wedding? That I travel about 2-3 week out of a month for my job? That I am still adjusting to a new city from a recent relocation? That there have been many moments of tested friendships, family members and co-workers that have had me on the edge? I share this only because I think sometimes as we’re focused on getting goals accomplished, working towards the next, we can get lost in the emotional burden certain experiences and event bring. The hustle will wear you out!

I won’t lie, I have been a bit hesitant to take my yearly break. I had a goal this year of creating and sharing more content via social media for my building brand. So it felt like a contradiction to take the time off of it. I have been planning for it since January and now it’s August. My intuition was telling me that it was time for a break. And I kept saying to myself…’tomorrow.’ Well the message came loud and clear that Monday at about 1 AM when emotionally I was just drained. Listen, ya girl was just moving too fast, doing too much and not taking the time to truly reflect and refresh. Honestly I think some of it was good for me – I was pushing myself to move even when I didn’t feel like it; assuming the best in in situations even when I saw different; putting content out even when I felt like it wasn’t good enough. I was pushing myself on a different and uncomfortable level. That part was good. What wasn’t good was that I wasn’t intentionally taking time to rest (outside of sleep).

I’ll  be deleting apps. Signing off. No lurking. No checking in. I’ll still be writing and podcasting directly on the website. What the social media hiatus consist of?

• Aligning – blocking extended time for prayer and meditation
• Becoming – being present in experiences, moment and happenings
• Clarifying – reviewing unfinished projects and completing them or letting them go

I am going back to the basics of what I know is true about rest. It is crucial. Rest is not to be confused with procrastination or laziness. I once saw the definition of rest as, “to recover strength.” That is a concise statement to why I take the yearly break.

It just so happen this past week my mentor in my head Myleik Teele also mentioned taking a break in order to, “come back to you rich and refreshed!”

Have you ever taken an intentional break from social media? What have you learned through it?