Take the Day OFF

Sometimes you have to push through.  Sometimes you have to do what needs to be done even when you do not feel like doing it.  Sometimes you have to keep going…

Other times, you just need to take some time off.  Take an hour.  Take the evening.  Take the day…

On those days, life has hand-delivered more than you can handle.  You need time to process.  You need time to breathe.  You need time to think.  You are overwhelmed and under-prepared, and you just need a moment…

Our country could use a moment…Vegas could use a moment…Houston could use a moment…Florida could use a moment…Puerto Rico and all the surrounding areas could use a moment…The victims of terrorism could use a moment…The victims of racism could use a moment.

It’s all too much.  I cannot process the information.  It is coming at me way TOO FAST AND I COULD USE A MOMENT…

So I took the day.

I took the day when all of the rain that stood over Houston and Galveston and Lake Charles threatened to come and sit over New Orleans.  I could not risk being stuck at work separated from my children so I weighed my options.  If nothing happens, I spend the day playing with toddlers.  If flooding ensues then I am right there with them – to comfort, to encourage, to make decisions, to be a mom.  So no matter what, my options said to take the day.

I took the day when I lost my son to his mother.  Again, I weighed my options.  I may make it through the work day without crying, but there were no guarantees.  And even if I did I already knew I would spend the day wondering why I came to work.  If I stayed home, and I did not spend the entire day emotionally drained, I could at least relax around the house.  If I was upset, I could spend the whole day resting…In the end, I took the day…because I could really use a moment…so I took one.

And so should you.  In light of all that is going on, you still have to live with your own situations.  Life is still amazing at reminding you of its existence.  We each have our own battles to fight, obstacles to overcome, victories to enjoy.  So please understand that you must know when to keep going – when to carry on – but you must also know when to take the day…

Yet, you have to be careful in what you do when you take the day.  You want to feel better at the end of the day – not worse.  As such, I caution you to watch how you spend your time.  For me, on my days off, I make sure to include items that maximize stress relief:

1. Devotion.
   I LOVE the Bible app.  It has TONS of devotions for me to choose from that match my current needs.  I love to lay at the feet of Jesus and listen to all He has to say uninterrupted…
2. Play:
   Children have it right.  Life, for them is a serious of games interrupted only by dinner and the occasional house/homework.  My daughter LOVES to have books read to her.  We recently receive a book called The Very Very Misunderstood Dinosaur by Paul Okoye courtesy of MeBookz.*  She calls it her “Mya” book because she is the main character.

   

   The publisher used a picture of her and made her into a cartoon character.  This character narrates the story of a dinosaur who learned not fit in but to be himself…the same message “play” sends when you take your day.  Do what you love to do, interrupted only for food and maybe (emphasis on the maybe) the occasional housework.  When we learn to play…When we lose ourselves in a game, or a book – creating, or baking, or painting, or singing…we find little girls deep down inside.  These little girls are unaffected by adult troubles.  For just a moment, life is not so overwhelming.

   

3. Rest:
   Spend time doing nothing at all.  Brainlessly watch TV.  Nap for hours at a time.  Sleep in.  Do not rush.  Forget your to-do list.  Ignore all the things you feel you should be addressing and just rest.  Sit outside.  Feel the sun on your face, the wind in your hair.  Hear the chirps of birds.  Literally smell the roses.  Enjoy your time off.  Enjoy your day.

No matter what you choose, or how you choose to spend your time, make sure you take it.  Take your hour you feel like you should be grading papers.  Disconnect when the weight of politics and arguments are too heavy on social media.  Enjoy an evening of devotion and play and rest, interrupted only for dinner.  You do not always have to push through.

Do yourself a favor.  After life has filled you to your maximum capacity, TAKE THE DAY OFF!!!! …

…You need it.  You cannot recover without it.  Without recovery, you cannot continue to go.  You downgrade from ordinary instead of upgrading to extraordinary.

So next time, you live through a battle which you were unprepared to fight – next time life knocks you down before you even recognize you are in the middle of war…as you lay down, look up.  And take a moment…or an hour…or a day to process.

Your survival depends on it.

That moment, or hour, or day…may very well save your life.

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What are some things that you do when you take time off to process?

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If you would like your own customized character book to share life lessons with your child, you may purchase one here.

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*I received this book complimentary in exchange for a review with honest opinion.  All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the developing company, and/or its affiliates in any way.

Linked at Inspire Me Monday