Anytime I remember my childhood, I cannot but wish that I have the privilege of choosing how to live but life is more than mere wishes. Naturally, children don’t like to work. They work better in an atmosphere of play, understandably so.

I remember how we looked forward to recess when I was in the primary school. Recess then was a short break between morning and early afternoon classroom work, the type we can call biological break. Recess to us as school children was more than a biological break. It was a moment of liberty to play.

The freedom to play within the 10 to 15 mins recess had a way of refreshing and reinvigorating us to do classroom work before the big one, the lunch break. We looked forward to recess the same way we looked forward to lunch break. To us, both symbolised the freedom to play.

Lunch break to us as school children was much more than a period to eat lunch. It was synonymous with freedom from classroom work regimentation, when you could choose for yourself the kind of play you preferred without being restricted to the four walls of the classroom.

Sometimes I wonder if the teachers would have been able to keep us in the classroom from morning till closing time without the periodic breaks at intervals to enable us draw strength from play. This is for children. Now as adult, what impact does short breaks have over your work? Have you ever thought about that?

Those who love themselves and their loved ones don’t joke with vacation. Significant as vacation is, this message doesn’t even speak directly to vacation but the interludes you have between work, just like recess in the calendar of school children. Interlude doesn’t just refresh, it invigorates.

Many times you would think you are tired and unproductive, the problem is not in your stars, not even in the workload. Many times, we overtask the brain when we make it work like the clock, non-stop.

There are times for critical thinking. At other times, all your brain needs is play mood to have a reset for critical thinking. That is how I feel right now. Just chilling, eyes on the ball but not forgetting to observe my interlude.

The new week is here. Make it productive.

©️Akin Oluwadare Jnr
23 April 2022