I got really good at "wasting time" when I was in Scotland. I had to readjust my body clock in more ways than one....to quote John Lennon...
Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.Good Man.
I realized, especially when I got up to the retreat B&B in Forres, that I really didn't know how to relax! I arrived and thought, "Oh my goodness...I won't have anything to do for 4 days...what am I going to do!!"
Amazing.
So what did I do? I spent time with me.
I read, drank tea, walked in the forest, walked on the amazing beach, practiced reiki on myself, wrote in my journal...went to sleep when I was tired...you know, had a vacation!
In Edinburgh I structured my day of walking and exploring around tea and cakes and writing in my journal...sigh.
Today I had some extra time before work, so I took a page out of my Edinburgh experience: I found a cafe, bought a cappuccino and bagel, and sat down with a book for about 30-40 minutes. When I was finished I leisurely popped into a couple shops. If it was warm outside I would have settled into a chair at Bryant Park.
I think we all need to take time out like this for ourselves. No, it's not selfish...it's sensible...and necessary. It can be as sinful as a stop in a cafe for chocolate cake or as simple as closing your eyes and listening to your iPod on the train.
We all deserve a little vacation time during our day.
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2 comments:
This reminds me of an excerpt from "Eat, Pray, Love" that really struck a chord with me:
"Generally speaking, though, Americans have an inability to relax into sheer pleasure. Ours is an entertainment-seeking nation, but not necessarily a pleasure-seeking one. Americans spend billions to keep themselves amused with everything from porn to theme parks to wars, but that’s not exactly the same thing as quiet enjoyment. Americans work harder and longer and more stressful hours than anyone in the world today... Of course, we all inevitably work too hard, then we get burned out and have to spend the whole weekend in our pajamas, eating cereal straight out of the box and staring at the TV in a mild coma (which is the opposite of working, yes, but not exactly the same thing as pleasure)."
that last photo is wonderful!!!
love reading about your experiences.
I totally understand not knowing how to relax. It's something we all need to do more of. :-)
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