Warning: Don’t Wait Until The End of The Day to Relax!
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I just learned a huge lesson today!
I volunteered in my son’s kindergarten classroom for the first time. It was about 100 times harder than I imagined.
This is also the first year they are doing “integration”, which means the special needs (ADHD, aspergers, (ESL) English as a second language) kids are in standard classes. I found this particularly challenging.
Long story short, I was exhausted.
I had a half hour break so I went out to my car. Normally, during any amount of down time I get during the day, I’d let my thoughts stew (overthinking is my specialty), grab a snack, take a short walk, or listen to music.
Doesn’t sound so bad right? But I never feel truly relaxed after any of these activities. They’re rewarding I suppose, but not even rejuvenating. In fact, I think they’ve just become habits or crutches- nothing more.
This week I decided to meditate midday. It began the day I volunteered.
Pieces of a my “relaxation” puzzle came together. If I meditate in the morning, it wears off by midday and if I meditate in the evening it doesn’t quite fix all the stress damage that’s been done throughout the day. That’s similar like believing one or two vacations a year supposedly make up for 250+ work days a year!
This week I have made an effort (yes, any new commitment takes effort) to do a guided meditation in the middle of my day. I feel 100% better. I approach the second half of my day with ease, calm and confidence to take it on. My shoulders and neck aren’t stiff anymore. It feels good to make a commitment to something that is good for me.
Need a midday escape? Here’s the guided visualization I used!
Here is another wonderful midday escape!
Let me start by saying, you won’t find me dressed in monk-garb meditating on a mountaintop in Tibet, but you will find me practicing mindfulness and meditation effectively and successfully in my life!