The Need to Relax and Rejuvenate

Many of you personally know Scott and me, and you know that all our life we have lived in a full-steam-ahead mode!  There are so many things that we want to do and so many things we get involved in that we just keep on going – pushing through any exhaustion we might feel.

This past year, things were even more full-steam-ahead than usual, and we found ourselves unable to take any time off – we did not take a vacation or any extra days off.  For me, I would keep on going until at some point in the month I would not be able to put one foot in front of another and I would collapse in bed at 7PM and wake up 12 hours later. Then I would continue the same pace, until exhaustion took over again – it was a vicious cycle.

Scott kept telling me, teasingly but seriously at the same time, “Deb, remember, I retired last year!”  And he did retire – from a 30+ year at Corporate America.  But since the very day he retired, we jumped into a new business adventure that allowed us to fulfill the desire of our hearts – to help others.  And so, a whole year slipped by, and we found ourselves extra sensitive, tired/exhausted. We decided we had to do something about it!

We immediately planned a 5-day trip to a beautiful bed and breakfast in the piney woods owned by an Italian chef.  And we decided to put a plan in place to ensure we take care of ourselves daily so that we are relaxed and rejuvenated.  Our plan includes:

• Eating right – our diet had resorted to the convenience of eating at restaurants.  We decided to go back to what worked for us in the past – meals with some protein and fresh vegetables with fruit for dessert.  And, for me, eating 5 small snacks a day (approximately 100 calories each) and only one meal a day works. 
• Drinking at least 67 ounces of water every day.
• Exercise every day.
• At least 8 hours of sleep (or at least rest).
• Having a prayer time / bible study time every morning before we start our day.  Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham’s daughter, even says that she must do that every morning because if she doesn’t her day is like an orchestra “tuning” AFTER they’ve played their concert.
• Taking at least one full day off a week to rest.

So, if you find yourself tired and stressed, put a plan in place to take care of yourself on a regular basis so that you can relax and rejuvenate and de-stress.  You will be able to handle the challenges we experience in this world much more effectively and possibly with a smile.

Interesting holidays in July