Leisure, Stress and Finding Time To Sit Down

Hello there,

I hope your Friday has begun with joy and blessings, and if it hasn’t, I hope it shifts that way quickly! I was driving through town the other day, enjoying the colors on the trees (even though I am honestly struggling with this change of seasons) and something struck me.  

I noticed how many beautiful gardens and houses fill this area and how so many of them have these beautiful, quaint, quiet sitting areas strategically set in their gardens.  Spots with lovely perennials, and flowers, a bit of shade, some nice chairs, but I never see anyone sitting there.  

I think what stood out the most was that these scenes were like a call to leisure, as if to say to a passerby: “sit with us, and quietly contemplate the awesomeness of these plants, or the softness of the breeze”. So much intention has gone into these spaces, which says to me that the people inhabiting those houses actually at one point and maybe even still have a dream of living a life where enjoying a quiet afternoon in the garden is possible.  

Yet, the spaces go unoccupied and the likely culprit is how busy we all are.  I know, I find it hard to purposefully stop and sit down and spend even a few moments doing absolutely nothing.  There was a time when I had to train myself to do this, to not check my phone, or return email or even read a book, and just sit. Do you know what happens in that space?  Suddenly there are awesome sounds of crickets and cicadas and birds all around you, filling the space and it is AWESOME!!  

So, I wish right now, I could offer you the magical solution, wouldn’t that be great?  Sadly, I don’t have an automatic solution for any of us to easily remedy this cadence of busy.  But, if you are like me, even small steps in the direction of easing this constant sense of “must” and “have” to do would be welcome right about now.  So, if you haven’t done so in a while, I recommend doing like I did today, and sit outside even if just for a few moments to see what sounds fill your space or, if you really want a deep reset, do like I did last weekend and schedule yourself for a massage (Angelique Sanchez from Be Present Massage restored me) or maybe some quiet Acupuncture and give yourself some time to be reminded of what being relaxed and peaceful feels like.  

Until next time

Blessings

 Dr. Julie