“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… Including you.”-Anne Lamott

If there’s anything I have learned throughout my past 22 years of time on this Earth, it’s that happy people live longer, richer lives. Stress is such a powerful detriment to the human body, as well as to those surrounded by it.

In a world where almost everything is operated by wireless networks and Bluetooth, it is so important to remember to take a step back from it all every once in a while and let your mind and body recover. This is not only important for your own personal health and well-being, but for all your loved ones around you as well. This fast-paced life that is now known as the norm is not slowing down, only speeding up. Employees are expected to do more with less, with shorter deadlines, and worse consequences. People try to find the easy way out in order to avoid the everyday struggles and often end up in a worse situation than before. So take on those crazy daily tasks, and these big projects that your boss gives you and do them well, but don’t forget that when it’s all said and done to take a step back and unplug from it for a little while. Allow your mind and body to rejuvenate and be excited and prepared to take on the next one.

In order to relate to this a little better, take your wireless router for example. It’s about 8:00PM and your whole family is home relaxing in the living room. The two kids are home from college for the summer and mom and dad are beyond ecstatic to have everyone in the same place for a short time. Just when everything seems as if it’s going great, the Netflix freezes in the middle of the movie and next thing you know, the Wi-Fi is down. Seems like a common issue and one that can be fixed in the blink of an eye. Mom gets up and goes into the office, unplugs the router for a few minutes, plugs it back in and the movie is right back on where it left off. Seems pretty easy, right? Then why can’t we seem to comprehend that our bodies need the same thing?

This week, I was lucky enough to get away from my two jobs, my graduate classes, and my everyday tasks and escape to the beach with my boyfriend’s family. Being here has allowed me to unplug myself from the daily stresses and just relax. As this week begins to come to an end, I feel prepared to take on the rest of these classes and get back to work with a better mindset than when I left. That being said, vacation isn’t the only answer to unplugging yourself from this crazy world we live in. Grab a book and sit somewhere quiet, go for a walk in the park, or take a weekend off from going out and watch movies with your friends and family instead.

It’s easy to think that a phone or a router needs to be shut off every once in a while when it has been overused, but for some reason we seem to forget that our minds and bodies need the same thing. So next time you start to feel stressed and overwhelmed, remember, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… Including you.”