I think everybody gets into a rut from time to time, thinking that all they do is work and when they’re not working then it’s chores or something else. Sometimes this rut lasts an hour, sometimes a day, maybe even a week and it happens to us all.
Life seems to fill up quickly with stuff and even if some of that stuff is having a few glasses with good friends on an evening, it’s still tiring. We all need time out and we all need to take care of ourselves.
Personally, I suck at this, I’ll be honest with you. As any of you who regularly read my blog know, I’m currently in that strange limbo stage of life before real life. If you don’t know what I mean by this, then I shall explain.
I’ve graduated and am no longer a student. I have a job and a very comfortable life. A job that is flexible and that I thoroughly enjoy to the point that I don’t feel like it’s work (until I sit down at the end of a shift with a glass of wine and feel exhausted). However, I need to pursue my career, I need to reach out and use the skills obtained from my degree and do what I love – write.
I work at my job six days a week. During the time in between shifts, before shifts and sometimes after closing in the evenings I will be writing, searching, having chats with people in fields that interest me, getting as much advice and guidance as I can and stressing about the future. When this isn’t true is when I’ve found a window of time where I manage to fit in seeing friends and family, or having a well earned drink at the end of the week. I rarely fill my time pampering myself or reading or stopping to have a breather and if I do then it’s usually accompanied by a mind buzzing with stress.
I didn’t realise quite how bad I was at self-care until I had a chat with my sister on the way to a friends the other day (of course). She told me how I fit too much into my life and don’t allow for breaks or breathing space. Since then I’ve consciously factored in an hour to read or listen to music or watch rubbish TV each day, where I don’t allow myself to think about anything else.
On days when I don’t have to get up to a certain time, I let my body wake when it’s ready and set no alarms. When I go on my daily walks with a friend I try not to only rant and moan about graduate life, but talk of all sorts and avoid the topic where I can. But of course it does help to discuss these things with people who care. By deliberately slowing the pace of living for an hour or so each day, which I still haven’t mastered, I think I’m getting better at shutting off from it all to give my body and mind a break, and when I come back to my laptop, I do feel that bit more refreshed.
No matter how you decide to relax make sure that you put time aside every week to do so. Whether it’s a couple of hours one evening laying in bed, candles surrounding you and your nose in a book. Or listening to your favorite weekly radio show. Maybe you just want to plant your arse on the sofa and indulge in some reality TV. Whatever it is, it needs to be done.
Too often do we forget to take good care of ourselves while rushing through life, trying to earn enough money, maintain social encounters, look after loved ones, stay focused and eat well. We forget that our bodies get exhausted just living and they need as much time out as our brains do. When filling up your diary or writing out your to-do lists include caring for yourself and be sure to tick it off each day. This is often forgotten or neglected slightly and this needs to change.
No matter how much free time we seem to have, we manage to fill it with visiting friends or just busying about and we forget to actually stop. This doesn’t incorporate stopping at a friends or stopping at the pub. No, I mean stopping full stop. Having time that is just for you and doing something to help your body and mind unwind and relax. Nobody, no matter how similar to Duracell you think you are, can keep going 24/7, every body needs respite from life.
In the long run, giving yourself some well earned time out here and there will make your time doing things much more productive. Whatever needs to get finished, no matter how large or small, can always wait an extra hour so that your body can revamp. Whichever stage of life you are in, a bit of tender loving care is a must. Here are some tips to get you started.