Blog: Spirituality

Are you the kind of person who fills up your free time quickly with busy work?

Beware of the Gerbil Wheel Trap!

If you had a snow day recently or the President’s Day holiday- how did you spend your time?

Instead of taking the opportunity to breathe, relax, unwind, reflect, I’m betting many of you filled your day with chores.

True confession- I used the extra time to gather paperwork for my taxes.

Yet remembering the ‘Gerbil Wheel Trap’ on my snow-bound day, I had a lovely phone chat with a friend I hadn’t heard from in a while.

Balance your week with Relaxation and Renewal

Here in the Washington DC area, and in our culture as a whole, we tend to be overly focused on being ‘productive’.  That may come from fear.  If we don’t look busy we may lose our job.

What a trap that is!

In a society that rewards productivity, we feel guilty taking time to relax, unwind.  And in so doing we dismiss relaxation and renewal as being equally valuable.

Only when we feel we’ve ‘earned’ our time off, we give ourselves permission to relax. As we keep finding ways to stay busy, we miss so many opportunities to connect with ourselves and others in deeper ways.

If we take our cues from nature, Winter reminds us that it’s OK to slow down, go within, hibernate, and be still.

The Secret of Life – Enjoy the Passage of Time

One of my favorite song lyrics is from James Taylor- “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.”  I’ve remembered that phrase over the years.   This simple phrase may help you have a life in balance.

When I find myself overly focused on my work or my to-do list, I look for ways to relax and renew.  I know that in relaxing I find balance.  With time away from work I come back with greater energy and often see things from a fresh perspective.

Next time you get a break from an unplanned snow day or an extra work holiday, give yourself permission to relax, recreate, renew yourself.