The Case for Taking Breaks
An anniversary, a mountain and a treehouse
Welcome to Days Like This, a newsletter by Heather Sweeney. Who am I? An author (Camouflage: fall, 2025) and freelance writer appearing in The New York Times, Washington Post, HuffPost, Business Insider, Newsweek, Good Housekeeping and many more. Learn more about Days Like This in my intro post. Subscribe for free!
Last month my boyfriend and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary. In anticipation of celebrating a decade of togetherness, we brainstormed ideas of how to commemorate this milestone.
I’m not sure how we landed on a getaway to a remote location in a treehouse, but when our anniversary rolled around, that’s where we found ourselves. Despite the fact that the Airbnb host’s use of the term “treehouse” was a stretch – although a genius use of SEO because that’s exactly what we searched for – this cabin in the woods was everything we hoped it would be.
The secluded 357 square foot cabin in Bedford, Virginia was built over a creek, and just opening a window could lull you into a meditative state with the sounds of the flowing water. I sat on the deck in a rocking chair with a glass of wine and a novel while my boyfriend put logs into the wood-fired barrel hot tub. The next morning we drove ten minutes to Peaks of Otter and summited Sharp Top Mountain, a three-mile round trip hike short enough to only take a few hours of our day but long and steep enough to make us feel like we earned the rest of the day’s pure laziness.
My anniversary weekend was perfect. It was relaxing. Romantic. Quiet. Reflective. My boyfriend and I celebrated our life together, using the weekend to get off the grid and forget about work and obligations and the daily grind to 100% focus on us.
It was a great reminder that breaks are good. Necessary even. As a writer with a day job, my brain is constantly in motion, and it’s really hard to turn it off. It’s hard to rest in the midst of endless to-do lists. It’s hard to take time for ourselves and our family and friends. It’s hard to slow down the pace of life. And it took a weekend getaway filled with peaceful stillness to realize how badly I needed a break.
We all need breaks. Those breaks won’t always be weekend getaways, but even short breaks can be rejuvenating. For me, sometimes a break means getting on my bike and riding 15 minutes to the beach. Or putting away an essay that isn’t working and letting it sit for a month before attempting to revise it again. Or taking a weekend off from writing and reading instead. Or maybe just simply closing my eyes, dropping my shoulders, unclenching my jaw and taking the deepest inhale my lungs will allow.
No matter what form the breaks come in, I never regret taking them.
So if you were looking for a sign to take a break, this is it. Enjoy.
From the Archives
One year ago: My essay The 'Golden Bachelor' Divorce Came As A Shock — But The Show Did Offer A Message was published at HuffPost.
Seven years ago: My essay No One Warned Me About the Grief That Comes With a Hysterectomy was published at Healthline.
Recent Reads
I guess I didn’t share my bookshelf last month so here’s what I’ve been reading the past couple of months.
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman
Dear Writer by Maggie Smith
BFF: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found by Christie Tate
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
Thanks for reading Days Like This. Find out more about me at https://www.heatherlsweeney.com.
Love this piece, Heather! Breaks are golden. Glad you took one to commemorate your anniversary.
Brief getaways are the perfect prescription for alleviating stress. Looks like the perfect spot!