Down Time

It’s important, but when you look at the way some folks seem to chase around non-stop you have to wonder.

It’s no wonder that stress levels are so high in modern society, and that strokes and heart disease are up there as some of the top killers.

I don’t feel a need to map out every minute of every day though. I like to come home after work, and once dinner time has passed, there’s usually time to just sit and unwind for a while. Of course, one folks then have an evenings TV viewing planned out. I rarely do, if I put the TV on, it’s usually just to scan around and see if there is anything interesting. If not, there’s always a book to read or music to listen to.

Like many people, I plan my work days. I sometimes plan days off too, when I am going somewhere; to a show perhaps, or meeting with friends or booking a meal at a restaurant. These all require some degree of advance planning. So do vacations, particularly if travel and places to stay or visit are involved.

I recall a few years ago having a conversation with an online friend, who asked me about my plans for the next few days, just as a passing topic of conversation. When I replied that I was off work that weekend, they went on to ask me what I had planned. I replied nothing in particular. Their response was to express surprise and to state that they simply couldn’t sit at home all weekend and do nothing.

That wasn’t what I was intending at all either. I just didn’t feel a need for advance planning, but simply to wait until the Saturday morning and see how I felt, how the weather was, and what my wife would also like to do. We actually had a couple of great days out and about locally, with a combination of walking, shopping, eating and drinking.

Something else that I enjoy sometimes too, is silence. I. Do take time to meditate, but I’m not set in any rigid regime on it. No, I mean that sometimes I can, for example, sit on the sofa, with no music or TV on, and just enjoy the peace and quiet for a while. I think that it helps to refresh the body, mind and soul, and that is something that few of us seem to do in the fast paced world that most of us live in.

Chilling.

Try it sometime. Silence is golden.

Dream Small, Dream Often

Be positive about life.

OK. You can’t be positive 100% of the time. Life does have its knockbacks sometimes. Also, don’t hanker for things that are, for the most part, out of reach. Sure aim big, but dream small steps to get there. You can’t be a millionaire overnight (unless you win the lottery, and the odds are millions to one).

Personally, I get great pleasure out of the small things. A day off work tomorrow. Time with my wife. Looking forward to a weekend away. Stopping by the pub on the way home. Losing two pounds this week. Eating healthy for three days in a row. Finishing overdue tasks. Get my drift? Whatever little things please you. Bask in it, in your own head if you like.

If things are making you unhappy, make small changes. You can’t usually change everything overnight. It all becomes overwhelming and then you get stressed again. You can take time enjoying small changes, and tiny events. Make a cup of tea or coffee and take a walk around the yard for five minutes. No yard? Walk around the block (perhaps without the cuppa).

Just a few minutes to unwind can help make all the difference!