Ever feel like this little kitten? So tired of working you just want to fall asleep on your computer keyboard? Yea? Me too.
Last weekend, I decided I NEEDED to take the weekend off to unwind, re-charge and see some friends. So I did. I took off from Friday all the way through until Monday morning, and it felt great! At first, I had to force myself NOT to work, but by the end of the weekend, I wasn’t even thinking about it. BUT, by Tuesday, I was sick, sick, sick! I hadn’t been that sick in a loonnnngg time. I mean, I was on my couch for DAYS. I realized, that I was holding on to all my stress and tension, and once I let it go, my body gave in and said “YES, you need LOTS of rest!” And boy, did I rest!
The moral of my story, and learning, is that it is equally important to not only work hard, but to play hard and rest hard, too. In my mind, I knew my life was out of balance, that I was working too much with not enough R&R time, but I wasn’t actually taking time for myself to play and unwind. I was feeling stressed and under time crunches for a few different projects, and was really expecting too much of myself. Am I the only one who does this? Somehow, I doubt it.
From now on, I have decided to take time, every day, for myself, for relaxation and rejuvenation, as well as make time often to see friends. For me, R&R doesn’t necessarily mean hours of time, but maybe just getting exercise every day, watching ½ hour of my favorite sitcom, doing some yoga or meditation, or reading in the sunshine is enough. I think it is so important for all of us to take time regularly, out of our busy lives, to honor ourselves and all the hard work we do and to celebrate our accomplishments, no matter how small.
What will you do this week to honor yourself and all YOUR hard work? I think I will visit where ever those beach chairs are sitting, waiting to be filled. 🙂
