Day two is in the bag. No closer to being in my office space but feeling good about the routine. I knew I couldn’t spend 10 straight hours staring at my computer screen again so I decided to try my hand at something I used to be pretty good at – baking bread. After I met with my team at noon, I took a twenty minute break to start the bread. Once the dough was doing it’s thing, I went back to work with a clear head. A bonus was when the timer rang after an hour to remind me to shape the loaf, that gave me another 5 minute break. Then after half an hour, another break to put that beautifully risen dough in the oven and finally 30 minutes after that to take the wonderful smelling loaf out of the oven. Oh, the joy!

It was a productive day and at 5 PM I was more than ready to shut down the computer. I had to run to Georgia Market for a few staples; flour, eggs, and of course, wine. When I arrived, the delightful Brenda Macy was checking out. She shared that her soon-to-be daughter-in-law works at home and always takes a ‘brain break’ to be good to herself. Thank you, Brenda(and your son’s fiance), for giving me the title of this post. We all need brain breaks whether we are working at home or in the office. It doesn’t matter what our work looks like or how rewarding it is. Whether it’s in front of a computer, physically demanding labor, caring for our loved ones or dealing with the public, too much of a good thing wears us out. A change of pace, a short break to do something rejuvenating will refresh our minds and reset our attitudes.

I’m still checking email frequently but I have enjoyed an evening that has been unplugged. I took a walk and spent sometime enjoying the signs of Spring in my yard. Check this out:

Baby Rhubarb! I’m so excited to see those red stalks start pushing out of the garden bed.

So I’m finding joy in baking and new growth. I hope you remember to take those Brain Breaks for yourself. And when you do, I’d love to hear what you did to rejuvenate. Blessings to all!