Get Rest, Feel Better

When I was in high school, I did a lot of 'hanging out'. Hanging out didn't revolve around a set schedule, it was just me and a friend or 2 sitting around talking, or maybe playing some Nintendo or watching some TV. For the past decade, though, it seems my ability to hang out has diminished sadly, and I find myself trying to multi-task while seeing friends or family or over-booking my schedule to allow myself more productivity. The thing is, just hanging out can be good for your health.

It's a fact: Americans live busier, faster-paced lives now than we did 2 decades ago. We find it harder to slow down, even when we know we need a little down-time. I am no exception, and although I find my tendency to crash and burn after a week full of non-stop perpetual motion exhausting, I also have anxiety about slowing down and all the things I won't be accomplishing if I take some time to recuperate.

This weekend my husband and I are in Madison, WI with my brother and his girlfriend. I still got up this morning and went for a run/walk and did a bit of strength exercises just to stay on track, but I allowed myself to sleep in without an alarm. After eating a huge brunch late in the morning, I gave myself one wonderful hour of lying around, dozing and just relaxing, a luxury I would have never afforded myself at home. Our big schedule of events for the rest of the afternoon includes renting movies and possibly playing board games.

A few thoughts of work I have waiting for me at home have managed to sneak in, but I pushed them aside to just enjoy not doing much at all, relishing in the slow pace I get to move along at for the next 36 hours. When we get back to Lansing, I will feel rejuvenated and have more energy to jump back in to the grind with both feet.