Photo by Steve SamuelsToday marks the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year. Almost everyone I’ve bumped into in the last few days has seemed particularly stressed-out about what they still have to do to prepare for the holidays, the number of parties they’ve been invited to, the amount of family members they have to “deal with,” the presents still left to buy or wrap, the fact that life just feels different and hectic and making them crazy!
It’s a bit catching, this “stress-fever.” Many of us are feeling unsettled and unbalanced. Routines have disappeared. There are lots of comings, goings and activity beyond the usual. More things seem to be added to our plates.
I don’t know about you, but I needed to do a few things to help myself feel more normal and calm. After all, I want to enjoy this special time with my family and friends. I don’t want to be overloaded with stress. So, in the midst of the activity, I decided to take a break from everyone. I needed to pause. I self prescribed some “me time.” This included:
- Being in our house by myself for several hours
- Putting on my pjs early
- Eating a quiet dinner while reading
- Making a few phone calls
- Folding the laundry
- Paying the bills
- Indulging in several of my favorite Tate’s Chocolate Chip cookies
- Drinking a cup of Yogi Relaxed Mind tea, which promised to “promote tranquility”
- Breathing deeply
- Feeling grateful for the quiet and time by myself
- Writing my blog post
- Grooving to the music on my Oh, So Organized! "Organize for Winter" video
- Eating a few more cookies
There is nothing extraordinary about this list. I didn’t travel to a far away land. I didn’t go to a show or movie. I kept it simple. I made myself comfortable, enjoyed the familiarity of completing some routine tasks, and appreciated doing all these things in the context of total quiet and focus. There were no interruptions. And you know what? It felt good. Actually, it felt better than good. It felt great! Now that I'm feeling rejuvenated, I'm ready for what comes next.
As you navigate over the coming days, I hope you are able to find some time to breathe, pause, and take care of yourself. What will be on your list?