Have you heard this word before?
DECOMPRESS!! (Definition) 1. Relieve of compressing forces, in
particular. 2. Calm down and Relax. I ask many of my counselor buddies,
co-workers and friends, “Hey, What do you do to DECOMPRESS? 99.9% of the
time, I get a head cocked to the side, eyes up to the sky answer such as, “I
don’t know what decompress is (insert
sarcasm here).” Or,” I don’t have time to do that.” Or, “I used to
do fun things in my life to unwind, but not anymore.” Does this sound
familiar to any of you?
Decompressing is extremely vital for our mental health as well as our physical
health. I’m the first to admit that I don’t take enough time for myself
regularly like I should, but I sure do recognize the need to calm down and
relax! We are all stressed or have “things” in our lives that clutter our
time and it’s past the point to take a time out. Being unstructured and
free to explore relaxation is a MUST!
After work as I’m creeping down my driveway, the creek out back calls to
me. I can hear its glorious reflection whispering, “Jodiiiiiiii….get in
the canoe and enjoy God’s creations surrounding you!” When I pull in the
garage, carry in the groceries, let the dog out, start cooking supper, put a
load of clothes in the wash, straighten up the living room, etc…the sun
begins to go down and my canoe time is GONE! It saddens me that I have to
make myself stop and relax and build that time into my calendar. But, if
I don’t build it in, I will never take time to do something non-work related.
As I grow older I’ve come to realize how very precious time is and how very precious
having good health is. Strong family support, wonderful
co-workers and amazing friends is a blessing that is revered. Spending
time decompressing with the ones you love is incredibly satisfying, but also
make sure to take time for yourself. A Saturday or any day of the week making memories with my husband and kids is the BEST!! Just make sure not to lose who you are and stay true to yourself. So here are some suggestions...
You
could: Sit in silence for 30 minutes or more...yes...try it, walk through the crunchy leaves, write a journal entry, close your eyes and power nap for 20 minutes, walk
your dog, stare at a bird, make pictures
out of clouds, drink a cup of coffee on the back porch, star gaze, sit by a fire, read a magazine or book, pray, take a hot bath and most of all just LET IT
ALL GO and surrender your burdens to God! Breathe, breathe, breathe slowly, intently, joyfully and thank
God for your many blessings during this short life. Don’t let life pass you by
and cheat yourself out of meaningful moments…moments spent with the ones that
matter most, moments spent in your own personal space and moments pursuing much needed decompression. Choose to take a time out and refresh! "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 Much love y’all! Jodi <3
No comments:
Post a Comment