How to take a break?

[trenton]

 Recently, I received 5 chess books.  My behavior changed significantly after receiving these books because I am more interested in studying these books than watching YouTube entertainment.  These books have been extremely effective in breaking my bad habits, and I have been learning a lot of new strategies and techniques.  I have been reviewing certain sections to make sure I retain the information as not to rush the learning process.  The books are very dense and complicated, so it will take a while to get through these books in a way that maximizes learning.

The thing is that my head feels numb after practicing against the computer 95 times in the past week before I could Finally get everything right and understand why it is right.  I need to know the most effective ways to take breaks, and when I should return to reading the books.

Other factors include when and what to eat to improve my ability to study.  I remember when I went to a tournament and forgot to eat dinner because I was so focused on the tournament that I could not tell I was hungry.  This would explain why I start getting worse.  Should I set a one hour timer for study?

[Preety_India]

Is this turning into an addiction for you. 

If I were you, I would step back and explore my need to be so obsessed with it 

 

I think this is an unhealthy habit you're forming. 

Are you generally better at self care. 

Explore these areas. 

 

[trenton]

@Preety_India interesting thought.

I seem to be swinging the pendulum from eating a lot of sweets because I'm not doing anything.  Sometimes I gave myself hiccups from over eating or drinking. 

I think there is a balance between these two and it should make me more effective at studying.

If I am exploring my need to constantly be studying these chess books, then it is tied to becoming a professional player.  This will open up new opportunities aside from working at the grocery store.  It would also bring in extra money from chess coaching, directing tournaments, and playing tournaments.  Currently I don't make enough money to live on my own just with kroger.  In this way chess is my key set myself up for the life I want, living alone so I can put even more time into doing things I love more.  Ultimately I want a better way of making money. 

Ideally I would be traveling around the world for both chess tournaments and spiritual retreats.  Currently it is extremely difficult for me to set up 30 day retreats because kroger only allows 2 weeks vacation a year.  If I want to do something like that, then I need to replace kroger somehow while creating new avenues for financial independence. Chess is one method that I love more than my current job.

Thanks for the thought 

[supremeyingyang]

@trenton

There is no magic trick, just schedule breaks. A save state of were you where is helpful for daylong break.

@Preety_India  is right and this obsession makes you go slower. So even if you can't appreciate the underlying issues right now, you can start by acknowledging that you need to take breaks

[Nahm]

@trenton

The passion felt for an activity is awesome. The ‘becoming’, as in ‘becoming a professional chess player’ is the discord. Who / what you already are, is far greater than anything you could experientially “become”. It’s a deep delight to be so dialed into an activity or pursuit, realizing the talent more and more. When the passion & activity encroach upon identify, one is getting to ‘sucked in’ to the thoughts, or thought story of identity, or, of oneself. To balance this out, is to balance out the having identifying along the way.

For the balance, to unfetter, get away for even a couple days, from everything which was or could be identified with or by. Two days of no chess, no books, letting all related thoughts come & go, and without your typical surroundings. This suggestion, when directly experienced, is found not to be adverse or against the interest of chess at all, but profoundly contributing to it. This ‘letting it all go’ is also available, as an example, during every entire shift at Kroger. That is more readily seen as available in the getting away from everything for a couple days. You could even witness from a higher & higher birds eye view, the entire function of Kroger, and see that it is essentially a financial & psychological chess game. Then the city, and so on, more and more bird’s eye. 

[hyruga]

I cannot really teach you breaks for it may affect your career in chess. You have to figure it out for yourself how to handle your passion for chess.

For example, if I tell you to totally relaxed or meditate and not think anything, it may affect your ability to do higher order thinking in chess which is important if you want to get higher Elo ratings.