Last year I took so many trips that, I found myself extremely busy throughout the year. With three international trips to Africa, and Europe, and two domestic trips to Ohio and Washington DC, I found myself speeding to catch up on everything in my life.
In my mind I thought I was busy because of my travels not knowing that, that’s how life is.
I have not taken any trips this year but it has been extremely busy. Even worse than last year. When returning calls now has to be on my to-do lists, then you know you are not handling this well.
Due dates for events was starting to scare me. Visiting family and friends, calling family and friends was beginning to sound daunting. A birthday popping up was becoming a burden when in the past we had excitedly looked forward for it.
I get extremely excited on Fridays even more excited when I work from home on such days, it means I get close to three full days of being home!
You may be in a similar situation. Most of us are in these situations where we are constantly rushing through life but I have always maintained life is a journey so we must take our time to savor it because sadly we do not know how and where it will end.
If you don’t pause and restructure, you will find yourself constantly moving with no end in sight.
Yes that is how life will get as we age and our circumstances change, work, family and friends. Taking breaks to reenergize is the way to go.
I have always planned trips with all my vacations and returned exhausted and go straight back to work. It becomes even worse when you return to work and you have all these catch-ups at work. At this point, the vacation does little to help your situation.
With this, I decided to try and work within my schedule so I don’t find myself rushing. Here is how I cracked the code, by doing this simple thing. I only took a do nothing break! Thinking this is not a brainer? I know but as simple as it may seem, it may elude you if you don’t slow down a bit.
With many responsibilities coming with age, we forget to rest. We rather will use our breaks to take on other task. How many times have you not planned a trip, an event on your vacations?
To help ourselves, we should use the vacation and breaks for what it is meant for.
I recently took a week off work with nothing on the menu. I had no plans for the one week I was going to be home. I just said, I am going to rest. And true to my words, I did! This is the best vacation I have taken.
This break saw me sending the children to school and coming home to lie down! I didn’t find the need to watch TV or call anyone. I just lay down, slept when I wanted to and ate whatever I wanted to eat. I stepped out only to pick the children from school and then we planned our dinner, homework and the cycle continued as usual. Knowing that, there is no rush for anything in the next few days was the reset my mind needed to re-energize.
By the end of my vacation, I was eager to go back to work, found newer and interesting breakfast for the children in the mornings and now, we don’t have to struggle for any one of them to eat something before going to school.
We have made our lives stressful because of lack of planning, boredom with repetition of our lifestyles and our refusal to take the needed breaks!
Whether you are a full time working parent or the stay at home one, and you are feeling exhausted, for your sake do the needful and take the break. Do not wait till you fall sick before you do this. Take the break to relax your mind and body. Take the break to reenergize yourself to give your best at work and to your family.
Life is full of uncertainties and for that matter, we should be able to reorganise ourselves and be prepared to survive the pressures it gives us.