Tips on Taking Breaks/Returning

[V-te]

With all my schoolwork, it seems that I'm going to be forced into a 1<x week period of no cubing. I've tried taking a break before, but I just can't put the cube down!!!!! How do I begin taking a break? and what should I expect when I return? I really don't want to do this, but if I have to, then I guess I should be ready.
any tips? What did you do when/if you have taken a break?

 

[Cyrus C.]

Maybe don't take a full break, keep doing an AO5 every day, even though you won't be trying to get better. This will make it easier to get back to your times, you won't be as far away from your old times when you come back, & you won't have forgotten algorithms.

If you find a need to take a full break, then gradually go out of it & come back into it. I don't really know how that will help, but people do that with other addictions/hobbies. Also, when your taking your break, delete the bookmark for all cubing related things. Whenever I hear about cubing, I want to pick up my cube.

 

[anythingtwisty]

I haven't cubed any more than casual solves in about a month because of schoolwork, even though I have a competition to go to on Saturday. Schoolwork>cubing. Always.

 

[Chuck]

I need advice about this too...

Thanks for making this thread, V-Te.

 

[joey]

Just stop. "Simple"
It doesn't really matter if you lose a couple of seconds cos you havn't practiced for a bit, you can easily make them back up.

(Saying that, I think there's probably been <7days for the past 3 years where I havn't solved a cube at least once)

 

[V-te]

Just stop. "Simple"
It doesn't really matter if you lose a couple of seconds cos you havn't practiced for a bit, you can easily make them back up.

(Saying that, I think there's probably been <7days for the past 3 years where I havn't solved a cube at least once)

You know, it's not that simple to just "stop". This is part of my life, something I dedicate a good portion of my day to. I just can't leave it unless I absolutely have to. Especially when you are learning something new like BLD and are getting closer to a solve. Sigh =/

 

[Cyrus C.]

Just thought of another tip: Find something less time consuming to fill the void.

Of course when you come back, you will be addicted to 2 things, making the time spent on your hobbies longer than before. Unless you quit the thing that you used to fill the void, which would probably be not as hard to do as you had only been addicted to it for 1-3 weeks.









Try to be addicted to paper airplane building, it's fun!

 

[V-te]

Just thought of another tip: Find something less time consuming to fill the void.

Hmmm an example being?

 

[Cyrus C.]

Just thought of another tip: Find something less time consuming to fill the void.

Hmmm an example being?

Just added one into my post.

 

[miniGOINGS]

With all my schoolwork, it seems that I'm going to be forced into a 1<x week period of no cubing. I've tried taking a break before, but I just can't put the cube down!!!!! How do I begin taking a break? and what should I expect when I return? I really don't want to do this, but if I have to, then I guess I should be ready.
any tips? What did you do when/if you have taken a break?

Awwwwwweeeee!!!...

 

[V-te]

With all my schoolwork, it seems that I'm going to be forced into a 1<x week period of no cubing. I've tried taking a break before, but I just can't put the cube down!!!!! How do I begin taking a break? and what should I expect when I return? I really don't want to do this, but if I have to, then I guess I should be ready.
any tips? What did you do when/if you have taken a break?

Awwwwwweeeee!!!...

Darn, you have figured out my subliminal messages.

 

[4Chan]

Im sure you can free up half an hour?

You can sacrifice sleep too, I do it all the time!

 

[miniGOINGS]

With all my schoolwork, it seems that I'm going to be forced into a 1<x week period of no cubing. I've tried taking a break before, but I just can't put the cube down!!!!! How do I begin taking a break? and what should I expect when I return? I really don't want to do this, but if I have to, then I guess I should be ready.
any tips? What did you do when/if you have taken a break?

Awwwwwweeeee!!!...

Darn, you have figured out my subliminal messages.

...schizo...

 

[cmhardw]

Different events are affected by breaks different ways for me. I can't think of a single exception to the following statement as far as it affects my cubing: taking breaks from speedsolving is always a useful thing that helps me discover something new in order to improve my times.

As weird as it sounds, every time I've taken an extended break of a couple weeks or more from speedsolving, when I come back I think about my solving in a new way. Perhaps a bad habit is more noticeable since I haven't seen myself do it for so long, enough to get used to it. Or perhaps I notice that I should be cubing slower during LL or faster during F2L, etc.

I also can't think of an exception to the following statement in my cubing: Taking breaks has always been detrimental to my BLD cubing. I've never had a break do anything other than cause some backsliding for my ability to BLD cube, and there is always an uphill battle to "catch up" to where I used to be.

Hope this helps some, this is at least what my experience has been to breaks. Sometimes you really should take a break from cubing and try other things. In 11 years of cubing, there are probably only about 6-8 months of that total time that I have spent taking breaks from cubing. I usually don't take breaks because I want to, but because I am too busy to cube, but I have found that I always come back. I think you don't have to worry about losing your love for cubing, breaks can be good at times. Just not for BLD

Chris

 

[DavidWoner]

I could ban you. Would that help?

 

[Mike Hughey]

I also can't think of an exception to the following statement in my cubing: Taking breaks has always been detrimental to my BLD cubing. I've never had a break do anything other than cause some backsliding for my ability to BLD cube, and there is always an uphill battle to "catch up" to where I used to be.

Perhaps that's true in overall capability, but what about that little matter of the sub-5 4x4x4 BLD world record?

It's interesting that you say that. Now I'm even more afraid to take a break than I was before I heard this. Since I first tried a 4x4x4 BLD, I have yet to go more than a few days in a row without trying at least one big cube BLD.

 

[cmhardw]

I also can't think of an exception to the following statement in my cubing: Taking breaks has always been detrimental to my BLD cubing. I've never had a break do anything other than cause some backsliding for my ability to BLD cube, and there is always an uphill battle to "catch up" to where I used to be.

Perhaps that's true in overall capability, but what about that little matter of the sub-5 4x4x4 BLD world record?

Yeah no I thought about that, but even in that case I was still doing 3x3x3 BLD solves for the kids at the camps we were holding. So I guess you could say I was still BLD cubing, just not big cube BLD cubing.

It's interesting that you say that. Now I'm even more afraid to take a break than I was before I heard this. Since I first tried a 4x4x4 BLD, I have yet to go more than a few days in a row without trying at least one big cube BLD.

I think resting journeys is immensely helpful, however when you don't cube BLD in any form whatsoever for any extended period I have only found this to be detrimental. I guess that's a better way to phrase it.

Chris

 

[rubiknewbie]

You may come back stronger than ever before!

 

[V-te]

@ David
No please....

@ Chris
I guess I could. Do you think that solving edges only, or corners only during my break could help me when I go back to Full cube BLD.

@ Cubes

I've tried skipping sleep. For the first two months of the school year, I would only sleep 5 days a week. It was not a great time for me

These tips are helpful.

 

[Lucas Garron]

http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15092

Please, guys. :rolleyes: