It is always amazing to me, how fast time goes by.  I remember when I was 6 or 7 yrs. old, thinking “how am I ever going to graduate school, if life moves at such a slow pace?!” Now the thought is “how am I ever going to get everthing done, with life moving so fast?!”

With that thought being at the front of the line, I have to encourage those who may have the same thought… take a Time Out! Not only does a Time Out become a great way to recupperate for an undetermined length of time (could be 5 minutes or 5 days), it also solifies the importance for us to individually take good care of ourselves.  Many experts, enthusiasts and caregivers, also call this Self Care.  Whatever term you need to call it, in order to practice it, should be engaging, important and meaningful so you WILL in fact make time for yourself.  I like to call it my re-charge time.

During that re-charge time, I eat, sleep, exercise, read, listen to music, or send some emails to reconnect with the world.  This time is non-negotiable, and I am often alerted to a re-charge as simply as a grumbing stomach or time to use the rest room!  Pretty simple right?  I recently worked with people who didn’t eat all day, or go to the bathroom and became overtired due to their great dedication to getting a job done. This resulted in feelings of stress, hunger (lightheadedness), some levels of resentment and trading stories of how little each person had eaten or ‘hard done by’ they were that day.  I remember once upon a time, thinking that this was the typical and only way to work in ‘corporate’ settings.  I thought to myself that I wouldn’t cut it being corporate. Therefore I became an Active Travel Guide, and found myself at times not having time to eat, go to the bathroom or sleep also!  What I discovered then, was our inability to take time for ourselves weighed heavily not only on us as individuals, but also on our work partners, clients, friends, life partners and other people we come across even if for a moment.

We all know this to be true:  We need to take care of ourselves first in order to give good care to others.  So how do we begin nurturing that thought without feeling selfish?  First off, when a person begins to really take care of themselves, more time and energy is available to give to others.  This lessens the feeling of just trying to make it ‘through’ or hoarding for oneself in case another opportunity doesn’t present itself.

So if you are feeling the need to begin to care for yourself, then I encourage you to begin with the simple steps of: Eat when you are hungry (healthy eating can be inserted here   Use the bathroom immediately when needed (why wait when you can increase your level of comfort in a matter of minutes?).  And get outside and play… this can be displayed in the form of exercise, yard games, gardening, watching a sunrise or sunset, walking to the grocery store.  If you already do well in the mentioned areas, then I encourage you to think one step bigger… What else can you do that will display meaningful consideration for yourself? Anything that changes your pace, and is meant just for you to take a wonderful Time Out.

Enjoy.  Living Life In:Creases    ~  Leah