I’m a big advocate of taking time off from life, stepping away from daily routines, responsibilities and chores, and giving yourself the space for an out-breath.
I’m not talking about a long vacation with all its planning and expense. I’m referring to taking a day or two and jumping off of the merry-go-round that constitutes life.
Spend a day in bed with a bowl of popcorn. Catch up on all the shows or movies you’ve wanted to see. Go to the woods, sit by a lake and observe the birds. Spend a day at the hot springs and take yourself out to dinner. Visit the grandkids or call a long-lost friend and catch up. Do something that doesn’t fulfill any obligation except for fun, enjoyment, or relaxation. Do something for yourself.
You may be thinking, oh, but I can’t. I have too much to do. Getting things done is my enjoyment – I feel so good when I shorten that list! I’ll take time for myself and fun once my list is empty. Or I have people to take care of, I can’t take time for myself! Ask for help! And if you don’t have anyone to ask, you may need to consider how to build a support system, but that’s a different post.
Your list will never be empty. You might be thinking, especially if I take time off from attending to it! Yea, no. There will always be newly added tasks. By the way, a renewed you will take care of duties with a skip in your step, not drudgery in your soul. Grammarly tells me that even a knowledgeable audience might not understand the word drudgery. Oh, I disagree!
As someone who practices what I preach, last week’s email and this week’s topic demonstrate me taking time off from usual posts about dealing with trauma or contemplating important life topics.
Last week I took the week off from sending an email because I spent the day in bed – okay, I had hives, but still I could have kept going and doing and not taking the opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. I wanted to send out my weekly email, and it took everything not to, but I gave myself the time off. After moving twice in the last three months, going full-on into trauma work within the Compassionate Inquiry training and launching a coaching biz, taking a rest was just what I needed. I shouldn’t have to get hives or some illness to slow down and take a break. And neither should you.
Today I started writing about not acting from your feelings; about how you can be sad and not act sad, etc. I recognized that writing about how to navigate trauma felt like drudgery. So I decided to squelch that route and advocate taking a day off from life, actually listening to yourself. It’s reasonable, necessary, and even vital to your well-being in this fast-paced world.
Last Sunday, even with hives, I had a great day resting, streaming mindless shows and not worrying about what I wasn’t getting done. Spending the day in an out-breath is magic.
In this holiday season, give yourself the gift of a day of peace. Or an hour. Or a few moments.