I am grateful for what has happened in my life

We don’t always get a full week of spring break, so I was very grateful that spring break occurred this year. Especially because many public schools, colleges, and universities eliminated spring break to prevent students from traveling. Even though I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere tropical, it was still nice to anticipate myself taking a pause on my endless list of responsibilities. It was nice to have something to look forward to that would get me through the stressful and challenging weeks.
However, once spring break happened, I realized that it wasn’t going to be the laid back, much needed break I’d been looking forward to since January. I had All State Orchestra and an interview to prepare for and attend, articles (including this one) to write, scholarships to begin, and much more. Nonetheless, I wasn’t going to let spring break pass me by without getting at least a day or two of rest. Therefore, I pushed less pressing tasks to the side so that I could seize for myself a much needed break.
Breaks are extremely important for one’s overall wellbeing. Unfortunately, we as Americans often struggle to take them. According to ABC News, Americans work more than anyone, including the English, French, Norwegians, Germans, and Japanese. Americans also take less vacation, work longer days, and retire later. However, taking a break from work is a crucial part of lowering one’s stress levels. When stress levels are lowered, so does blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart disease. Low stress levels also decrease depression, anxiety, and burnout. Furthermore, setting aside time each year for a break helps increase happiness and quality of life.
Looking back on spring break, I couldn’t help but be slightly disappointed that it wasn’t the relaxing, stress free week I had envisioned. To make matters worse, other negative and disappointing events had occurred during this time, making me feel even worse about my spring break. But, I realized that this spring break, even though it was not the one I had envisioned, was still worth being grateful for. One day of rest is better than no days. Plus, even though it wasn’t completely stress free, my spring break week was much more laid back than previous weeks. This spring break also gave me the opportunity to spend time with my family, which is always nice.
Oftentimes, events don’t live up to our high expectations. When this happens, it’s always good to take a step back and be grateful for what was and not what could have been.