R & R for Sunday, March 6th, 2011

Doing Absolutely Nothing!

Mr. Rabbit was walking down the road when he spotted a crow at the tip top of a very tall tree. He shouted, Good Morning, Mr. Crow.

Mr. Crow shouted back down, Good Morning Mr. Rabbit. Mr. Rabbit shouted up, Whatcha doin' today? and the answer shouted back down was, Absolutely nothing, Mr. Rabbit - Absolutely nothin' and loving it.

Well, that sounded pretty good to Mr. Rabbit, so he shouted back up, Do you think I could do that too? Mr. Crow shouted back down, I don't see why not! So, Mr. Rabbit lay down on the side of the road and began Doing Absolutely Nothing.

In less than 30 minutes a fox came along and ate the rabbit.

The moral of the story is: You can get away with Doing Absolutely Nothing, but ONLY if you are really high up.

~Author Unknown

R and R Tip #39: Relaxation doesn’t have to mean spending all day on a beach doing nothing. We need to learn how to relax. Take time to make life easier for yourself.

Because I've actually seen what stress can do to a person, I cannot stress the importance of rest and relaxation enough. In this day and age, we’re often overwhelmed by the things that need done in one day. We often have long-term goals looming overhead. Make sure your list of goals includes something that will make your life easier. Some time for relaxation is something that everyone should have on their list.

There are many different psychological and physiological benefits of relaxation. Relaxation reduces the wear and tear on your mind and body caused by the pressure from the daily grind. It helps to clear your mind and free your body from tension. Then you can regain your focus and return to a balanced physical state.

Relaxation is not just for relieving stress, but for maintaining regular health. The truth is there often isn’t much time to concentrate on ways to relax. Modern family life is busy and there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day, which leaves you with only one thing to do, and that is to make the time. I know you may be thinking it’s not as easy as that, but it really is.

Self-Nurturing is learning to love and take better care of yourself. Continually putting yourself at the bottom of your list of priorities will result in stress, burnout, exhaustion and resentment. We are unable to be at our best for others, unless we take time for ourselves to rest, relax and renew. Self nurturing is not selfish, it is sensible.

If you come to terms with the fact that you will always be busy and that your life is hectic then you’ll have no choice but to make the time.

Always find time to relax. If nothing else just sit down and do nothing at all for 20 minutes. You will feel revitalized and rejuvenated. So, take a break. Take time to make life easier for yourself.

Look for ways to relax. Here are a few ideas I've found to make my life easier.

Own fewer things.

Do fewer things.

Sleep more often and longer.

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

~Confucius

Don’t make life hard for yourself. Do one thing at a time and enjoy doing it. When you’ve completed your necessary work, then you have the reward of pleasing yourself without a guilty conscience. By making time for yourself you are not only ensuring you are happier and more satisfied with your life, but you’ll also be teaching your family the importance of taking care and valuing themselves. That’s definitely a good thing.

See you all next Sunday!

Love, Live, Laugh and Be Happy!

ma