SPACE: Schedule Breathing Room

Current discussion: Learning to and letting yourself be creative and artistic.

I’ve seen calendars chock full in friends’ homes, in client offices, in my teachers’ agendas, and I wonder why we do it to ourselves?

We can’t go as fast as we can constantly. We need the down time. Why don’t we include this in our to-do list?

I am going to make a proclamation.

Everyone must schedule some down time every day. Other than sleep, other than meditating or praying or studying, and other than aimless television viewing.

“What? But that’s my down time!” I can hear the arguments.

Actually, you’re still doing something. But when do you just stop? When do you pour yourself a glass of lemonade and sit and watch clouds? When do you lay in the grass and allow yourself to be covered by ladybugs?

“Lovely idea, Trish. Can you get back to reality now?”

Sure. Here’s some reality: If you don’t stop, or refuse to slow down, your body and brain will do it for you.

How many reading this blog are tired, struggle with worry or fear, wrestle insecurities every minute, and wonder if they will ever be good enough?

Are we crazy? Why do we insist on flying through life without stopping to give ourselves the rest we crave and need?

I’ve talked a lot on this blog about how I need time to read stupid novels and watch reruns. I’m reconfiguring that as of yesterday. I sat outside on my back porch yesterday afternoon to watch the squirrels and birds and cats (and our resident Rocky Raccoon) interact yesterday. Oh the chaos. When I turned off the music, turned off the phone, turned off the writing conference and marketing conference mp3s I’ve been listening to endlessly, the animals were putting on a show. And it was hilarious.

I laughed so hard at the squirrel who had his hand inside the birdhouse, making sure he hadn’t missed the birds who flew the coop days ago. Then the birds who left sat on the railing cawing at him (their babies must be nearby) and suddenly a new cat (the one that has adopted our backyard) strolled around the corner of the house and startled the squirrel and the birds and it just made me laugh. All that drama.

Notice the bird and the cat and the squirrel don’t sit around and wonder if they’re going to be okay, if they’ve done enough, if they’re being mean or nice enough. And if they’re tired, they sleep.

I may have been sick for almost three weeks, but I’ve learned something. It is only us humans who add way too much to our days and thus come down with every cold, flu, and cough around. And it is only us who psyche ourselves out trying to keep up with the Keeping Up With the Joneses race that in reality doesn’t even exist.

Schedule some breathing room for yourself. Smell the flowers, stare at the clouds, take a nap in the sunshine. The world is a good place. You’re going to be just fine.

Tagged as: avoiding stress, relax, schedule, SPACE, success