With the constant hustle and bustle of our ever changing society, it seems like taking a break is viewed as “weak”. We’re expected to perform 120% every single day with little to no leeway or remorse – but why is that? I understand in the working world, notice is required if you want to take off – but how can you plan the unexpected two weeks in advance? Things happen and it’s okay, but time and time again employers, teachers, and society in general show us that it’s not. I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for years and one story always stays with me. I had worked a double shift the previous night and I was expected to come into work in the morning. This was a typical weekend for me, but I was going through a lot outside of work and didn’t have easy access to an iron for my shirt and pants. As much as I wanted to take off, I knew I couldn’t without repercussions. I went in that morning and within 5 minutes my manager looked at my shirt, (I really tried my best to uncrumple it without an iron lol) and sent me home. I mean, I guess I got what I wanted – but why did I have to go through all that when I was ready to work, just to be treated like that? You take abuse for years in that industry, just to come out with little to nothing to show for it.
The laboring body is incredibly important in putting the pieces together, whether we realize it or not, but that doesn’t mean the body should take abuse by the isolating effect or how Slavishak put it “[it] is easy to lose sight of human labor in a capitalist system centered on service, global outsourcing, and automated assembly”. We all have a wealth of unique situations – that’s what makes us human – but we shouldn’t be punished or viewed differently because we took a day or two off. I guess it’s getting better though, every day, and it helps that we are having dialogue about this now. It’s okay to take a break, it’s okay to breathe and live. We’re not corporate machines – our mental and physical well-being comes before anything else. One day at a time.
Unruly Bodies 
This is why I don’t work in the retail/fast-food industry because of this. They work you to death and can easily replace you with someone else despite you being there your whole lifetime.
I enjoyed your take on this. I never give myself time to relax, it’s hard to when there is so much expected of me every day. I don’t think people realize how much livelihood is taken away when you’re in school or working. I would never want to work in the food industry so I applaud you for working in it for so long. I am sure we would all love to take breaks but sometimes that isn’t a luxury we can afford.
Personal days are very important for mental health. Without a break, you can overwork yourself and then eventually breakdown. The truth is that working daily is our destiny, we have to work in order to pay the bills but why not do it while taking care of ourselves. This life is short, we need to stop once is a while and look around and enjoy the little things.
I am at a lost of words for the fact that your manager sent you home because your shirt was not ironed. Yeah, I understand at a professional level, the way you present yourself is a reflection of the business, but come on! That had to be power trip move, there definitely were other options than to send you home. Also, I completely relate to your understanding that “taking a break is viewed as weak”. I felt this way consistently throughout the semester. I would always hear about how busy my friend’s schedule was, how many hours they dedicated to studying and completing homework and when I paired that against mine, I would always feel inadequate. If I slept in or didn’t properly allocate my time to studying, I would feel guilty. So thank you for sharing, reminding, and reinforcing the idea that breaks are human, because we are human.