Some of you may have noticed that I haven’t run as many new blogs lately. What you may not know is that I’ve also slowed down on evidence review and my intense reading schedule. Why? Well, sometimes life gets in the way and as a living, breathing, real person; I have to make sure I care for my overall well-being. So this is for anyone who feels like they are not working hard enough or don’t feel like they are in the right headspace to investigate right now. 

7 Reasons to Take a Break

1. Your physical health has declined in one way or another: You must take care of yourself or you won’t be able to stay in this field. You need to be able to safely conduct investigations and stay on task without the extra stress of physical ailments. So if you must take a break now, do so. Get well, rest, adjust to your new lifestyle if you have a chronic illness or long term injury, and then get back to kicking some ass. (Note: sometimes you have to change how you do things to accommodate your new situation so be willing to explore your options during your time away.)

2. Your mental health has declined: We must be mentally strong when we investigate. When our mind is not in the right place it is hard to focus on the task at hand or be observant of the environment. This leaves you open to negative experiences and can lead to further problems. Please take time to understand why you are feeling the way that you do, seek and receive help, adjust to any changes that may be occurring, and then come back to the paranormal world. We likely will not solve the world’s problems while you are gone or even find a way to agree on a specific method of investigation. 

3. If someone very important to you passed away: Emotional stress is a really good reason not to be out in the field. This is an extension of the mental health reason. You cannot focus, perceive, and care for yourself in the field when you are mourning a loved one. Also, spending time focused on death, beyond what you are already experiencing, is likely not the best way to spend your mental bandwidth. Do things that bring you peace and comfort instead. 

4. Burnout: If we do too much all at once, we can start to feel overwhelmed and eventually disconnect from the paranormal field (and many other aspects of our life). If you work full-time, have a family, participate in non-paranormal organizations/events, have new/additional projects/responsibilities, and investigate, you can eventually get to the end of your ability to juggle everything. This is when you need to take a break, refocus (ask yourself “what really matters to me”), update your goals, and then get back into it. If you have lost a passion for the field, you need to take the time to figure out your priorities. 

5. You are getting frustrated or angry with your team or other people in the paranormal community: This is a sign that something is wrong and you need a break. Much like burnout, you need to figure out why you are now struggling. Ask yourself the following question: “Why am I angry” and then (like a really annoying child) keep asking yourself “why” to your response. Really drill down to the root of the problem. Once you get there, find a solution. Continuing in the field without addressing the problem will only lead to increased feelings of anger and frustration. Your team will notice this so make the choice to deal with it now. 

6. Your life situation has changed: In our life, we will experience so many changes. Things like a new job, children, getting married, moving to a new town, and so on can impact our ability to commit time to investigation. That doesn’t mean you have to be done forever. You just need time to adjust to your new situation or find how to fit the paranormal back into your life. 

7. You no longer feel compatible with your team: Things happen and people change. We don’t always stay with the same team for the duration of our experience. If you no longer feel like your team fits your situation, step back and take a break. Try your best to leave on good terms. Open communication with all parties involved can help you maintain friendships as you step away. 

I’m sure there are a couple more reasons to take a break but these are the big ones. Remember, you are only human and you can’t always do everything. For some of us, that is a hard pill to swallow. (I’m one of them.)  It’s ok to take a break. Don’t let others make you feel like you are obligated to be present all of the time or that you are required to make things work for them. Take care of yourself because healthy, happy, and focused investigators are the best. 

Until next time, stay well and Happy Hunting!