As I was gathering information to do my taxes recently, I was reviewing last year’s calendar to make sure I had everything logged correctly – from January 1st through December 31st. Looking at my packed schedule and seeing all that I had done over the year, I thought,” Gosh, no wonder I’m tired!” It seemed like every minute of every day was filled with something – places to be, meetings to go to and events to plan.
I also realized that even the time I had taken off from work was filled with a variety of activity, from visiting new places and seeing the sights to gathering with friends and family to “do” things together. I realized even my time away was not really restful.
We all need reminding to slow down, to stop filling each moment of our day with activity, and simply breathe. While great in concept, when we look at our schedules and see all of the commitments and responsibilities we have, taking time for ourselves sometimes feels like a pipe dream. How in the world can we slow down when we have meetings and deadlines at work, activities to taxi the children to, meals to cook and houses to maintain? There is hardly enough time to get everything done as it is, much less, find time for ourselves.
But, in order to maintain good physical, mental and spiritual health, taking time for ourselves is imperative. We may not be able to take days or weeks off to reenergize. Sometimes it’s even difficult to set aside an entire hour for “me” time. But still, we must slow down, and intentionally find that time to rest.
So this week I challenge you to look at your daily schedule and find those moments you can set aside to breathe – even if only for 2 minutes. Fast from the busy-ness of your life in order to be mindful of the blessings all around you.
Find a quiet spot, close your door and set the alarm on your phone for 2 minutes, turn off everything else around you…and breathe! Breathe and re-center yourself. Breathe and remember that you are God’s beloved. Breathe and simply be present and mindful of all that makes you whole.
Breathe and simply be.