A Time to Relax
ByTo sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace. ~Milan Kundera
Sometimes life just overtakes us at the speed of galloping horses , and we find ourselves trying to juggle multiple urgent situations without paying heed to what our bodies and minds are telling us. Stop! Rest Now!
When I used to work full time it seemed that everything would fall apart if I were not there to handle my responsibilities. Not true. I learned early on that nobody, not even me, was indispensable. Life went on just fine without me and while things may not get done exactly as I might have done it, they got done and pretty well I might add!
As an entrepreneur with a business to run, I have to wear many different hats and found that I was running myself ragged trying to attend to everything myself. Once again, I began to crowd myself into a corner with my numerous responsibilities until my husband said Stop! Leave your Blackberry and computer behind and just forget about work. We are going away for few days to a place which has no internet connections. It was the best weekend I have had in a very long time.
Spending time with our little dog who wants to do nothing more than scamper in the fields chasing rabbits and squirrels or if all else fails her own tail, gives me a new perspective on what relaxation is all about. Time to breathe and replenish the reserves of peace and well being, of feeling the calmness and oneness with nature and life, of experiencing the joy and comfort of being with family and old friends – the warmth of the sunshine and the freshness of lake breezes on a hot day.
The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it. ~Author Unknown
The three most important things you can do to ensure you get a well deserved rest are:
1. Go away- somewhere far enough from home or the office – so that you are not tempted to dive back into work or compelled to do some housework.
2. Leave all connection to the world of work behind- no iphone, no ipad, no laptops, no blackberries- people have survived generations without these tools. You will survive a few days without them. Everything can wait!
3. Do something completely different from what you would normally do. If you are typically sedentary, go for a hike. Read fiction or your favourite author- anything that is not work related. Chase squirrels with your dog. Watch the sunset sipping a glass of good wine. Catch up with half forgotten conversations with old friends. Do whatever relaxes you.
Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. ~Ovid
Only when you relax completely, will you regain the energy and motivation to give of your best results. When you do this when needed, you will come back refreshed, energized, with a fresh outlook and new solutions to old problems. A relaxed mind produces better results than a busy one.
As Lily Tomlin famously said, “For fast acting relief, try slowing down!” - What tactics and activities have helped you relax and slow down so completely that time and all its cares fall away in the silent pursuit of complete relaxation?
