Enjoy Your Spare Time

Due to the very busy world that we live in, it’s often hard to fit in some quality time for ourselves. Some people work hard and don’t get enough rest for months at a time, even years in some cases. If you look at statistics, the number of mental, physical and emotional breakdowns experienced by people continues to increase. Why? It’s simply because people have forgotten to take care of themselves. They work and take care of their duties thinking that they don’t need a break. They find that finishing a task is more imperative than giving themselves a moment’s breather. They continue to trudge through life, until one day, they simply collapse and lose control. I recall, nearly 20 years ago now, when I overdid it and could not get out of bed one morning. My head was fine, though my body wouldn’t cooperate. At the time I lived with a much older lady friend who was a retired hospital consultant (MD). She told me I had had a physical breakdown. It is not an experience I wish to repeat.

I’m all for hard work and determination. Success can only be attained if these two traits are present. But we also need to know when to say that enough is enough. Our minds need to rest, otherwise they can fail us when we most need it. In fact, universities recommend that students study ahead of time. Last minute cramming can lead to lack of sleep. On the day of the test, many of these students have had total mental blackouts, instances wherein everything they read about and studied for just leaves their mind. At that critical time, they have experienced a ‘meltdown’, and much of what they’ve worked for has been wasted. I have seen this happen along with the associated anguish and upheaval which followed. Make sure it does not happen to you.

If there’s one way to enjoy life, it’s knowing the importance of rest. We do need to fulfill all our responsibilities. But we also need to learn how to enjoy life and bask in its unique, special moments, lest we forget what we’re really here for. We are all blessed with friends and family. If we don’t give ourselves enough time to spend with them, then we may as well watch all our relationships crumble. No one wants this to happen to them. While many do go on vacations with their loved ones, they also take their work with them. This simply isn’t quality time.

So, how do we actually get to enjoy our spare time? Here are a few tips to follow:

• Inform everyone at work so that they will know not to bother you.

• Finish what needs to be done and keep the pending items safe somewhere.

• Write down what you need to work on when you get back.

• Know that your friends, family and loved ones are just as important as your work.

• Give yourself time to reflect on your life and work out ways in which you can balance everything.

• Keep yourself surrounded with friends during your spare time to lessen the chances of thinking about your work responsibilities.

• Learn how to organize your life.

• Learn to ask for help when you have difficulty sorting something out.

The most important thing to appreciate here is that we’re not alone. We have people we can count on, as long as we also know when to help a person in need. Your friends are there to help you rejuvenate your soul and keep you from breaking down. Life just seems less tough when you have someone to lean on. Remember, as we enjoy our spare time, we need not feel guilty. We are simply enjoying life – we are giving ourselves a chance to recharge and bring back the enthusiasm we have for work.

Related posts:

1. Learn How to Love Yourself – An Antidote for Stress
2. Being Productive Despite Your Workload
3. It’s Ok to have a rest.
4. The Reality behind the Law of Attraction
5. Being the Best of Who You Can Be