Breathing Room

 Some of us live as if the hounds of hell themselves were nipping at our heels - and many will attest that that's precisely what it feels like at times. De-stressing, relaxing, refocusing, and other methods of relieving the pressure are vital for our survival unless we aspire to end up in a hospital bed recovering from a heart attack or a stroke before we reach retirement age. Check out these ideas and see if they don't offer some relief from the hectic pace of everyday life: 1. Create a library of soothing and therapeutic music and purchase as quality a set of headphones as you can manage (scrimp a little elsewhere and buy the best - it's worth it). Take some time each day to disappear into the music and block out all the worries and tensions of the day. Although it may be hard at first, keep at it. Eventually, your body will train itself to this new "coffee break" and start to get fidgety if you run late. 2. Learn to create a reserve of time, money, availability, and anything else that makes you crazy. When you have enough savings to buffer you against bad times and unexpected expenses, you spend less energy dealing with them. Likewise, suppose you block out times in your appointment book just for you (mark them in ink and make them as holy as a client meeting!). In that case, you will find yourself breathing easy rather than catching your breath as you move throughout your day - and surprisingly, at first, you will accomplish as much if not more with less effort. A harried mind is never a productive one. 3. Learn to chill out, to rest genuinely. Train yourself to nap, take an afternoon stroll, lounge about on your day off - all without guilt, worrying about your work or what you're not doing, or otherwise not being present in your moment of peace. This may take some time, but the effort will repay you many times in better mental and physical health, a more uncomplicated personality, and a more even mood. Not to mention the fact that your family will be able to pick you out of a line-up for a change. 4. Go for walks in natural settings to let the peace and the power of nature "reset" your internal clock. Don't do anything but walk - don't "exercise" or otherwise alter your natural stride, don't fret or worry, and don't set a plan or destination. Just walk and observe and take in the calming surroundings. It's surprising how many of us have lost this vital skill of just going for a walk with no other intention in mind. 5. Create and strictly abide by your own Sabbath in whatever way works for you.

Choose a day that fits your beliefs, schedule, and life, and do everything you can to set it aside for rest, relaxation, rejuvenation, and reflection. Precook meals so that they need to be popped into the microwave (or make a Crockpot of stew or chili or roast and leave it on low all day). Refuse to schedule anything not refreshing or enjoyable - no doctor's appointments or official business. Turn the ringer off on the phone and shut off or do not turn on the computer (Gasp - did I say that? Don't worry, you'll live. Trust me). You might even experiment with a TV-free Sabbath, although that might be just a little too much to ask of many of us. Take a day and make it holy - it will soak through into other parts of your life like the spreading fragrance from a perfect flower. Creating space - space to grow, freedom to move, room to breath - helps keep us from stifling the very life energy that makes us who we are. Too often, we get wrapped up so tightly in the bonds of day-to-day life that we forget how easily and how quickly they come undone if only we take the time to do so.