I never take naps. Except for the one I just woke up from 20 minutes ago.

Usually, I have a list of stuff to get done. For some odd reason, nap is never on that list.

But sometimes you have to break out of your normal practices for better ones. I took a practice ACT today and went to an early meeting with a horrible earache and headache. It is no fun to test for 4 hours when your eardrum feels like it’s about to explode.

When I got back from hours of bubble-filling, I thought I might be able to power through some homework. But with a little convincing from my mom, I went straight to my room and turned off the light instead. This was genuinely hard for me to do, because I have a personality that doesn’t like to leave things on the to-do list. 

That nap was so worth it, and my body needed it. I feel much better now, and I know that I wouldn’t have felt this way after 3 hours of making flashcards and annotating essays from the American founders.

Sometimes you just need to take a break. Human beings are not machines that can just keep working 24/7. We get sick, and tired, and sad, and stressed. Often, the only remedy to these ailments is to postpone the to-do list and take a nap.