Recess Break: How Andy the "Anxious" Aardvark Beats Stress as a Mental Health Warrior
- Bruce Schutter
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
I was downtown, just trying to grab a diet soda and enjoy a few quiet minutes, when I heard it — a frantic rustling sound and rapid muttering coming from behind a planter box.
“A list for the list, check the locks, what if I forgot the thing and I didn’t answer the email and — oh no, what if I sound weird when I talk?”
I peeked around the corner and sure enough, there was Andy the “Anxious” Aardvark, looking completely overwhelmed and fried from worry. He looked like he had mentally run a marathon — twice — and forgotten where he left his shoes.
“Andy,” I said gently. “You okay?”
“I’m out of steam,” he said. “I’ve worried myself into full shutdown mode. I know I’m supposed to be using my Warrior Tools, but my brain is on the fritz.”
I smiled. “I’ve got the perfect Warrior tool for you — a Recess Break.”
The Warrior Story
Andy isn’t just some random panicked aardvark. He’s a fellow Mental Health Warrior — and a loyal member of Marvin the “Mental Health Warrior” Cat’s crew. Like many of us, Andy lives with GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), where even the simplest tasks can spiral into full-blown catastrophes in his head. For Andy, worry isn’t just a passing thought — it’s constant background noise.
But Andy also knows my story.
For over 20 years, I battled Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD — challenges that pushed me to the edge. I felt so powerless, so hopeless, that I tried to end my life. But in that darkest moment, I discovered something that changed everything: mental health is the key to overcoming any challenge.
With that truth in hand, I created the Mental Health Warrior Program — a bold new SELF-HELP approach that puts YOU in charge.
So you can take charge of your emotions, triumph over challenges and build the life you really want.
And Warriors do that by filling their toolbelt with practical tools they can use every day. That is why I wrote 84 Tools of a Mental Health Warrior — so every Warrior can be prepared to face life’s challenges with action, not panic.
The "Recess Break" Tool
“Think of it like those old-school recess breaks from elementary school,” I told Andy as we sat on a nearby bench. “Back then, they gave us space to run around, play, laugh and reset our minds. Now, as adults, we forget we even deserve to pause.”
Recess Breaks are intentional moments of non-productivity — designed to reset your mind and body without asking you to reflect, meditate or do anything “useful.” No goals. No outcomes. Just freedom, playfulness and permission to breathe.
Andy blinked. “So… I don’t have to be productive during it?”
I smiled. “Exactly. In fact, if you’re productive, you’re doing it wrong.”
Taking a Recess Break isn’t wasting time. You’re recharging. And that is what gives you the strength to come back stronger, clearer and more focused.
Then I shared three simple ways I personally take Recess Breaks.
Three Ways I Take My Own Recess Breaks
1. Zombie Shoot’em Up Game
“When I’m overloaded and my brain feels like it’s trying to juggle flaming bowling pins, I grab the controller and spend 15 minutes blasting digital zombies,” I told him.
Andy raised an eyebrow. “Zombies?”
“No strategy. No moral takeaway. Just chaos, sound effects and pure, mindless fun,” I said with a grin.
What makes it work? It gives my brain a total pattern interrupt. By jumping into something completely different from my stress, I get a break from looping thoughts — and that reset helps me come back calmer and more focused.
2. Music + Cold Diet Soda
“Other times,” I continued, “I just sit back with a cold diet soda and let my favorite music fill the room. No phone calls, no emails, no problem-solving. Just music.”
I saw Andy’s shoulders relax a little. “I could do that,” he said quietly.
“Exactly,” I said. “That’s the point.”
This works because music engages your brain without demanding anything from it. Add a cold diet soda, and suddenly you’ve created a simple Recess Break that helps you feel grounded without even trying.
3. Porch Sitting
“And then there are times when I don’t move at all. I just sit on the porch. No phone. No journal. No plan. Just me, the breeze and whatever thoughts wander through.”
Andy blinked. “You just… sit?”
“Yep. That’s the whole thing. I let my brain stop racing and just exist for 10 to 15 minutes.”
It works because it gives me space. That stillness gently resets my system. When I return to the rest of my day, I feel more centered and back in charge of my day.
The Recess Break Blueprint (for You)
“Here’s how to make it work,” I told him. “It’s three easy steps — just follow the blueprint.”
Step 1: Set Aside 10–15 Minutes
Find a small window of time in your day when you can step away from everything — no emails, no texts and no to-do lists chasing you down. This is your time. Guard it like it’s recess in 4th grade.
Step 2: Do Nothing Productive (and Actually Enjoy It)
Remember recess as a kid? It wasn’t structured or serious — it was freedom. Tap back into that. Play a game, stare at the clouds, dance like no one’s watching or sip a cold drink and listen to music. Whatever helps your inner adult chill and your inner kid grin.
Step 3: Notice the Recharge
Afterward, check in with yourself. Do you feel lighter? More relaxed? Even just a little less overwhelmed? That is your nervous system resetting and your mental fuel tank getting refilled.
Wrap Up
“Being in charge of your mental health can feel overwhelming,” I told Andy as we wrapped up our chat. “But small actions like this? That’s how we win. One choice at a time.”
He nodded slowly. “It’s kinda scary… but it also feels good. Like… I can actually do this.”
And that is the point. Recess Breaks are the perfect reminder that no matter your age, diagnosis or to-do list, taking a break does not set you back — it sets you free.
Before Andy left, I handed him a copy of my book, 84 Mental Health Warrior Tools — a guide filled with practical strategies he could use every day to face whatever challenges come his way.
So if you are stressed out, overwhelmed or running on empty, give yourself permission to take a Recess Break.
These moments are not you checking out — they are you stepping up. This is how Warriors take back control and rise above life’s challenges!
Bruce Schutter ⚔️
Every day is a chance to choose strength — because YOU'RE IN CHARGE!
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