Chilling Out: Advice for Parents
Oh, for a Week at the Beach!
What good is success if you're too exhausted to enjoy the prize? Whether you're feeling overworked, underappreciated, or just plain exhausted, the remedy seems clear: a vacation! But what if your vacation is not scheduled for another six months? You need it now. You need it bad. It's so important to curb the energy drain before your fuel gauge registers "empty." Don't wait for your official vacation. Instead, take a mini-vacation — a "refueling" break. Kick back, put your feet up, and relax — even if only for a few minutes. Okay, that's not the same as a week at the beach, but it'll keep you from burning out completely or from being too exhausted to move when you finally do take time off.
The problem with our 24/7 society is that most of us think in either/or terms. We think "weekday" or "vacation day," keeping everything about them distinct. On vacation days we dress differently, act differently, eat differently, and use our time differently. We relax, rest, and play. In doing so, we shed some weight, lighten up, laugh and smile more. But then comes Monday, and we leave all of the relaxing behind, not to be seen again until the following weekend — or worse — our next vacation. Sure, we need to schedule our vacations, but we all can take unscheduled vacation-like breaks.
Imagine what your life would be like if you never felt bone-tired again. Suppose you never had to drag yourself through another day, collapsing into the nearest chair, too tired to hug your kids, take the dog for a walk, or even talk on the phone with a friend. Suppose instead, you installed a low-energy detector, and every time it went off, you stopped and gave your battery a charge. That would put you in the driver's seat, wouldn't it? See if any of these quick-lifts restore your energy.
More on: Dealing With Stress
A series of "quick-lifts" excerpted from Recharge in Minutes, ©2003, by Suzanne Zoglio, Ph.D.
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