A Daily Respite for a Busy Woman
Google dictionary:
res·pite Noun /ˈrespət/ /riˈspīt/ listen
A short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant
A short delay permitted before an unpleasant obligation is met
After two physically and emotionally grueling days of chair massage (let me preface this by saying I enjoy it, but twelve plus hours straight of deep tissue massage, coupled with crowds of thousands, is enough to drain anyone of energy, no matter how much they like it), I woke up this morning and realized I had no choice but to take a bath.
Driving home last night in heavy traffic, I could feel all the noise, conversations, and energy of work. The feeling grew heavily on my chest, to the point of almost suffocation. I've had these feelings before: they have sometimes grown into panic attacks. But this particular evening, I recognized the anxiety for what it was, allowed myself to say, "ok, Emily, you are stressed," and, without trying to "get rid of" the anxiety, I "let it go."
But the anxiety wasn't all gone this morning. After a fitful night's sleep, full of dreams where I had to "sort things out", I knew I could not start my day without a respite.
As defined above, a respite is short, but it gives you relief from the "real world", whenever it swells to the point of anxiety or exhaustion. I wanted to share the ways I find a respite each day. Let me point out that I try to find a respite daily: at least once in the morning before I start my day, and ideally at night, after I've built up a day's worth of tension.
There's so many people who are writing self-help books of what you should and shouldn't do. These are merely suggestions. This is what works for me. I will say, though, that I like to have choices, so I can select one or two respites that suit me that particular day.
Respites
1) Yoga/Pilates: Stretching in the morning feels so good. Pilates takes my mind away from other worries or concerns, and concentrates my thoughts on the not-so-easy task at hand. I just pick which yoga poses/pilates exercises I feel like that day - whatever my body needs.
2) Meditation: Usually after the yoga/pilates, I will sit quietly, cross legged and with a straight back, hands resting on my knees, or sometimes in prayer position, and clear my mind. Sometimes this is more effective than others. I know I've gotten somewhere when I feel a lightness in the frontal part of my brain (around my forehead) and I actually, for a few seconds, tune out the constant chatter in my brain. Usually, things will crop up, like "that bill needs to be paid today" or "I must remember to buy grapefruit juice", but that's all part of it. It's a challenge, but it's worth it.
3) Qigong: This is a quiet movement and breathing practice. I am going to reference my massage blog here for more details: http://emilythelmt.blogspot.com/p/qigong.html
I find the standing movement is really meditative and easy. It's a great alternative to a sitting meditation.
4) Journal Writing: I started daily journal writing when I read the book "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. Writing down what's annoying me, even if it seems trivial, seems to be one of the best ways to get it out of my head. Sometimes, I will start writing, and an issue will come up that I wasn't even aware that I had in my consciousness. Julia Cameron suggests three pages a day...that's good, but anything is helpful.
5) Epsom salt bath. Epsom salt is excellent for soothing sore muscles and relieving stress. When I am feeling a little run down, I steep dried oregano (as if it were tea), and pour the strained, steeped hot water in the bath. Oregano has been shown to kill germs. A good boost for the immune system.
6) Go for a walk: Nothing clears my head like a walk, preferably a longer one, if possible. I will literally feels my troubles peeling off of me and floating away in the breeze. I'll start out grumpy and go through a transition period of "working through" troubles, and I'll arrive home free of worries. I prefer a real walk to a treadmill: I need to actually be going somewhere and see nature, people, dogs, cats...it's all fun to watch, and takes my mind to a better, more peaceful place.
All these things only take about 20 minutes a day. I used to not always bother with them every day, thinking I was too busy, but now, if I do not give myself a respite, I can really feel the difference. If I allow myself this little patch of peace each day, it really changes my perspective and allows me to enjoy my day, no matter what challenges are ahead of me.
res·pite Noun /ˈrespət/ /riˈspīt/ listen
A short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant
A short delay permitted before an unpleasant obligation is met
After two physically and emotionally grueling days of chair massage (let me preface this by saying I enjoy it, but twelve plus hours straight of deep tissue massage, coupled with crowds of thousands, is enough to drain anyone of energy, no matter how much they like it), I woke up this morning and realized I had no choice but to take a bath.
Driving home last night in heavy traffic, I could feel all the noise, conversations, and energy of work. The feeling grew heavily on my chest, to the point of almost suffocation. I've had these feelings before: they have sometimes grown into panic attacks. But this particular evening, I recognized the anxiety for what it was, allowed myself to say, "ok, Emily, you are stressed," and, without trying to "get rid of" the anxiety, I "let it go."
But the anxiety wasn't all gone this morning. After a fitful night's sleep, full of dreams where I had to "sort things out", I knew I could not start my day without a respite.
As defined above, a respite is short, but it gives you relief from the "real world", whenever it swells to the point of anxiety or exhaustion. I wanted to share the ways I find a respite each day. Let me point out that I try to find a respite daily: at least once in the morning before I start my day, and ideally at night, after I've built up a day's worth of tension.
There's so many people who are writing self-help books of what you should and shouldn't do. These are merely suggestions. This is what works for me. I will say, though, that I like to have choices, so I can select one or two respites that suit me that particular day.
Respites
1) Yoga/Pilates: Stretching in the morning feels so good. Pilates takes my mind away from other worries or concerns, and concentrates my thoughts on the not-so-easy task at hand. I just pick which yoga poses/pilates exercises I feel like that day - whatever my body needs.
2) Meditation: Usually after the yoga/pilates, I will sit quietly, cross legged and with a straight back, hands resting on my knees, or sometimes in prayer position, and clear my mind. Sometimes this is more effective than others. I know I've gotten somewhere when I feel a lightness in the frontal part of my brain (around my forehead) and I actually, for a few seconds, tune out the constant chatter in my brain. Usually, things will crop up, like "that bill needs to be paid today" or "I must remember to buy grapefruit juice", but that's all part of it. It's a challenge, but it's worth it.
3) Qigong: This is a quiet movement and breathing practice. I am going to reference my massage blog here for more details: http://emilythelmt.blogspot.com/p/qigong.html
I find the standing movement is really meditative and easy. It's a great alternative to a sitting meditation.
4) Journal Writing: I started daily journal writing when I read the book "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. Writing down what's annoying me, even if it seems trivial, seems to be one of the best ways to get it out of my head. Sometimes, I will start writing, and an issue will come up that I wasn't even aware that I had in my consciousness. Julia Cameron suggests three pages a day...that's good, but anything is helpful.
5) Epsom salt bath. Epsom salt is excellent for soothing sore muscles and relieving stress. When I am feeling a little run down, I steep dried oregano (as if it were tea), and pour the strained, steeped hot water in the bath. Oregano has been shown to kill germs. A good boost for the immune system.
6) Go for a walk: Nothing clears my head like a walk, preferably a longer one, if possible. I will literally feels my troubles peeling off of me and floating away in the breeze. I'll start out grumpy and go through a transition period of "working through" troubles, and I'll arrive home free of worries. I prefer a real walk to a treadmill: I need to actually be going somewhere and see nature, people, dogs, cats...it's all fun to watch, and takes my mind to a better, more peaceful place.
All these things only take about 20 minutes a day. I used to not always bother with them every day, thinking I was too busy, but now, if I do not give myself a respite, I can really feel the difference. If I allow myself this little patch of peace each day, it really changes my perspective and allows me to enjoy my day, no matter what challenges are ahead of me.
So true. Last night, John & I were reading about the need for transitional space every to let people recover from daily stresses.
ReplyDeleteWe just bought beach cruisers with an infant seat on the back and we've been taking bike rides when I get home from work to de-stressify.
I really like this post, Emily. Just reading it, I could visualize your walks. Thanks for taking the time to share. :o)