I woke up today full of ambition. I got up, showered, ate breakfast, and wandered into my office and that was it.
We had thunderstorms that started at 4:30 a.m. and went on for a couple of hours, which took care of any sort of walk or bike ride in the morning since it was still raining. While I woke up ready to tackle the day, I was also just tired.
I wrote in my notes for the day, “I’m taking the day off!”
I grabbed my iPad, turned on the Fire Stick, curled up in my chair and launched a game on my iPad. Five years ago, I would have pushed through and probably hit a wall later in the day, but at sixty, I’ve learned not to fight the fatigue.
I completely wasted the remainder of the morning playing games on my iPad and perusing Pinterest (I sort of consider that work). A couple of weeks ago, I purchased some green corduroy fabric and a pretty fall print to make myself a tote bag. I decided to design it, which I did, but I also realized that I was missing a couple of key supplies.
We ate lunch and Mom and I went to Joann fabrics with Charli. Thank goodness there are a few places around that allow dogs. I picked out a zipper, the clip I wanted for my keys, and a galvanized bucket for the dried hydrangeas from the yard. Of course, when we get home, I discover that the zipper and key clip didn’t make it into the shopping bags.
I ended up busting out quite a few Zazzle products, getting it close to my goal for the month. I felt much better about the day – it wasn’t a total waste.
So the lesson for today is to rest when you need it. I’m a very driven person. I push myself probably harder than I should some days, but I have goals and playing games on my iPad won’t help me get closer to them. Still, my brain was saying it’s time to rest, and I did.
The result was that I actually managed to get something done! I think this is especially true when you’re taking care of other people, whether it’s kids, a spouse, or parents. That alone can be mentally draining, so when your mind says chill, listen to it.
Are you able to chill when you need to? What do you do to relax?