Let Yourself Breathe

“When used intentionally, downtime instills a sense of peace.”

Addie K. Martin

I don’t do “downtime” well. And when I say downtime, I mean, anything less than super sonic speed. There is just so much to do – there are ALWAYS dishes to wash, dry, and put away; counters to wipe; clothes to take care of; errands to run; dinners to be cooked .. you know how it is. I am sure it is the same exact way in your world.

However, I do know there is value in downtime; or simply time to do the small things that bring you peace.

My family is young, and they are a tad bit crazy .. or can be:

Sledding this past winter. It was cold!! Look at those pink cheeks.

Sometimes I think my young children’s lives are nuttier than mine! Currently, Whitney has cheering on Monday, tumbling on Thursday, ski on Friday, and sometimes cheer again on Saturdays. Once those activities end, she simply picks up new activities, like sewing club that starts in March. When you throw Emerson’s ballet class in on Saturdays as well, the calendar seems to fill quickly, and that is without the addition of both my husband’s and my work schedules, the gym, work meetings, house-hold errands, and appointments. Trying to chisel out time in all of that becomes almost another chore.

We just don’t stop.

BUT, when I do allow myself some time, or when I finally admit that I really need a second to breathe, I gravitate to the things that bring me the most peace. The things that I almost need in order to stay sane in this world that just never stops.

Things like, reading.

My bed, my book, and my cup of coffee. This is when I know life is good.

I know that I will have about 150 blog posts about reading as time goes on (reading is virtually my life), but in this instance, it is all about somewhere comfy, somewhere warm (I am perpetually cold, so this is really important), and something comforting in my cup (no, it isn’t vodka).

Reading allows me to breathe, because it allows me to forget. I get to forget all of my stressors for the moment, and simply live in some other fantasy world. And this can happen regardless of the book I am reading. I can live someone else’s life if it truly is a fantasy novel, as much as I can live in someone else’s world if it is a biography. Books are magical that way.

And so is bundling up in a blanket and sitting somewhere that gives you comfort.

That is the reason why I put a picture of a fireplace as my featured image for this post. Where you are, and your physical comfort, is almost as important as what you are doing. I can read a book while I am standing at a subway station, but the amount of breathing, peace, and escape from the world that I am going to be able to get out of that event, is very different than if I am reading a book while swinging in the sunshine, and smelling freshly mowed grass.

Similarly, your escape from the world, doesn’t have to be quiet while you are wrapped up like a burrito in a blanket – it can certainly include what you most like to do.

For me, I find happiness in getting my nails done.

Our colors were inspired by some Zeal bottles – grape for Mom and wild berry for Whit.
She always gets a flower on her toes, so this time, Mama decided to follow suit.

This is definitely not often (not often enough at least), and it is most typically done with my oldest daughter (I have taken her since she was really young – bad habit to get into, haha). But I still walk away from that appointment with a little more jounce in my step, because I simply feel more put together with a little color on my fingers and toes.

It’s also something that I get to do with my daughter, and making time for that – especially being one-on-one with her – is all the prompting I need to find a moment away from the chaos of life (even if her flower, every time, costs me extra). It won’t be long before I will need to include my younger daughter too, or find a new activity to do with just her.

Blogging is next – that is a new development.

A quick snapshot of what my blog looked like at the time of this post.

And I am loving every minute of it. It has brought writing back into my life as a passion, and has finally given me a way to interact creatively, but in a productive way. Where my material and all of the random thoughts and teachings [that go around in my brain] can roost. That, is a new feeling of peace for me, and I am relishing in it.

So, find your “spots”. The places and things that allow you to breathe and make the world stop, or at least slow down a little. You deserve it, and it’s a little change that provides a lot of bang for your buck. Your mental health – your equilibrium, if you will – is as much in need of balance, as the other elements of your health are. Especially if you are looking to tweak small things in life in order to achieve a greater sense of satisfaction, or dare I say, happiness.