NURTURE YOUR DOWNTIME

As we all know and some may be even painfully aware, yesterday was Tax Day. Maybe you are relieved that it is over or maybe you are well on your way to next month's payroll taxes, either way I find Pop's perspective the most interesting. My dad is a CPA, and while I always thought he lived for April 16th, it seems I have been wrong all along.

Poor Pops was moping around the house today wondering what to do with all this new found time on his hands. After months of working nights and weekends on top of his regular schedule, he was at a loss for what to do with himself once tax season came to an end. Of course he pulled it together, ran errands, and hit some golf balls at the driving range, but I am left pondering...does our work consume all of us in this same way?

Tonight's episode of Thirty Rock hit on the same chord, as Liz Lemons struggled with what to do on her 'human resource leave' from the office. When she let go and embraced the opposite extreme, it uh, did not turn out to be quite what she thought.

Again, I am brought back to Moderation and the Middle Way. I expend a lot of heart, energy, and time in my work and take plenty of pride in it. My work fulfills me and gives me purpose, but I also have to take my time to myself or I will fizzle and burn out. I happen to be one of those people that requires downtime as much as food and water to function. But lately, I have noticed that not everybody takes their time to themselves, time to regroup and refuel.

We are constantly bombarded with deadlines, e-mails, appointments, etc. We are go, go, go so much it's no wonder we do not know what to do when the stress of work momentarily subsides. My hope is that we can all find joy in a little time to ourselves, even if it was forced upon us by bidding farewell to Tax Season or just a scheduled day off. The next time you stumble upon some free time, revel in it.

*Turn off your cell
*Put off checking your e-mail (one day couldn't hurt)
*Write down your brilliant biz idea then put it aside (perfect it the next day)
*Relax with that Restorative Yoga session you have been wanting to check out
*Hit the driving range
*Finish the latest read you have been working on for weeks
*Take a walk & soak up nature's Spring pallete
*Have yourself a mid-afternoon bubble bath (nothing wrong with that)
*Catch up with an old friend over lunch or phone convo (sans facebook chat)
*Turn your online albums into a scrapbook or actual photo album (remember those)
*Indulge in ME time (there is always time for work, work, work, just not today)

Cheers to Nurturing ourselves, each other, and the world around us.

Namaste.