When Do You Get to Take a Break?

Our families are very important. Taking care of them along with our other responsibilities seems to make the days move faster all the time. Is it possible to slow down our lives? It seems to me that people are so overscheduled today that they don’t have time to think.  Stress comes from every direction.
Both thinking and playing are essential for our lives. My dad once told me that I should take at least 15 minutes a day to do absolutely nothing. We all need to take a little time to unwind with our thoughts, consider our dreams, and acknowledge our accomplishments to ourselves.
If you think you have no time to do anything else in your busy schedule, try doing something you love for just 15 minutes a day…it will make a big difference.

tea-381235_1280Make a Difference in 15 Minutes

Here are some suggestions to get you started:
*Sit in solitude and think about your dreams.
*Write to decompress or be creative.
*Walk or run to get your body moving.
*Talk to a friend or family member you haven’t seen in a long time or who would like to keep in touch with.
*Pray or meditate
*Dance, yes, turn on the music in your house and dance!
*Paint or sketch a picture
*Use your camera to capture some great pictures.
*Play a musical instrument
*Sing
*Read a favorite or new book
*Take a shower
How many other ways can you use 15 minutes to decompress? Please write to me. I would love to hear them.

Ahhh…Time for Stress Relief

Holiday excitement, good or bad, can cause our stress levels to rise.  When my children were small,
I use to tell them to take off their shoes and let their feet say, “Ahhh”.
Shopping, cooking, children home from school, errands, work, long rides with children, celebrations, relatives…all of this may have a compounding effect on us without taking a little time for ourselves to…breathe!
Please take some time to get a massage, go outdoors for some fresh air, or do whatever it is that makes
you calmer.  I wish you holidays full of joy and wonder and that you will have some time to decompress.
Here is a list of 10 more ways to deal with stress. (Click on the image for larger view.)
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