Slow Down and Take Time to Look After Yourself

I decided to slow down yesterday. I had tea with a colleague. I got my hair done. I had a long lunch with a girlfriend. I puttered over to the post office and the grocery store. No rush, no agenda. I just had a day of slow down. And it was heavenly.

As I came home and popped my feet up to start on a little knitting, I was reminded of this quote:

‘Being unstoppably on the go is consider to be the behavior of responsible adults; therefore we usually resist the interludes offered by ill health.’ from Practice Changing Your Mind by Wendy Beale

I so often hear from clients and friends that they have caught a cold, or got the flu, but they just can’t take time off. Life is too busy. There’s too much to do.

Or I watch the TV and am astounded at how many over-the-counter medications are out there, so that we don’t have to take time off.

Have you ever considered that maybe your body has a message for you? Do you think that maybe when you catch a cold, get a tummy ache, sprain your ankle, etc. that your body is telling you something?

I do. And I know what it is. Slow down. Yes, it’s time to take a ‘time-out’.

There is a reason for everything, whether we know it or not. And sometimes, the simple tummy ache is our body’s way of saying ‘it’s time to rest, slow down’.

Colds and the flu respond well to rest. Drink more fluids. I personally like my tea, and good old fashioned lemon, hot water, cloves and honey. I make a big pitcher and sip away. I take time out to catch-up on some of the TV shows I enjoy; time to knit; time to rest.

And one of the greatest benefits of taking this time out is that while we rest life gets back into perspective. When we stop being ‘unstoppably on the go’, we have time to reflect. And when we reflect, we have a chance to re-evaluate our priorities.

So, whether you are waiting for your body to tell you to take a time-out by getting sick, or whether you want to circumvent it: I’m suggesting that in the next day or two you slow down. Take some time to meditate. Take some time to relax. Take some time to play. Take time to heal. Slow down and re-evaluate your priorities. So much of what we do really isn’t that important.

And don’t tell me that you don’t have time. If you have time to go on Facebook, you have time to reflect on your life. Leave off the FB and take 15 minutes to sip tea, look out the window and think. It’s called contemplation, and that’s a form of meditation. And we know that meditation is good for us. If you have time to watch TV or play on-line games, you have time to reflect. Get the picture?

Taking time-out will quite simply mean that you don’t have to get sick to get some time off! Now isn’t that delightful?

So, treat yourself and take some time to relax. You are worth it. And if you have a moment to share, pop some of your fave ways to slow down in the comments. I’d love to know.

Take time to look after yourself. Slow Down.