Take a Break!

Do you ever feel under attack? Do you wonder what the world is coming to? For all of us who are paying attention and finding plenty to be concerned about, I offer you this-look around.

Pay attention to the little people in our lives - make sure they see our eyeballs and our smiling faces! No little people in your life? Can you find a way to volunteer or support folks who have lots of littles and maybe could use a break?

Find a way to give back. Not something big or dramatic, that is neither sustainable or necessary. Calls, texts, notes, taking road trips down memory lane - it's all uplifting!

Treat yourself. Sure, we are all aware of the value of eating healthy and exercising but once in a while, enjoy the pure pleasure of an ice cream cone on a hot summer's day or a glass of ice tea in your best crystal!

Rest. Take breaks. Go for a drive. Change your scenery. I love to grab a latte and take a 20 minute drive down by the river in the middle of the day just to reset my compass and clear my mind. Work a puzzle or take up crosswords! Try something new without worrying about being good at it!

Come over and play pickle ball with Pete and I - the net is always up and we are always looking for a good game.

What else could you add to this list? Who could you add to your adventures?

Permission to Rest…

“You are worth the quiet moment. You are worth the deeper breath. You are worth the time it takes to slow down, be still, and rest.”

Morgan Harper Nichols

I miss pre-pandemic snow days. It’s tough to justify cancelling zoom meetings because the roads are too icy for safe travel.

We NEED snow days. We NEED breaks in our routine. We NEED unexpected quiet moments.

Why is it that we so often require an act of mother nature to give us permission to take better care of ourselves? Look around! Notice how all this productivity and efficiency is impacting our mental health!

Google the stats. So many people NOT taking all their vacation days - have we lost our marbles?

Boredom, wasting time, inefficiencies, these are all fertilizer for creativity.

In a world in search of so many solutions, my prayer is that I can remember the words of Jesus, who encouraged us in Matthew 11 to come to him and receive rest. If you, like me, need permission to take a break even though it FEELS like we shouldn’t need it - here is your permission slip.

Take a snow day. Or a personal health day. Or spend a vacation day...on you.