Slow Down, Take Your Time

Rush, rush, rush; go, go, go and do,do,do. Don’t you feel like that sometimes? Most of the time? I certainly do.

Our lives became an endless array of never-ending tasks and little emergencies. At work there are e-mails and phone calls, meetings and deadlines. No time to eat lunch at lunchtime. At home it is dinner, driving to soccer and hockey practice, chores and help with homework. It never ends for adults nor for children. Sports and homework, video games, internet and Facebook. There is no time left for anything. There is no time for the family time.

So how are you coping? Statisctics show that most of us not so well. Newest research from Harvard Medical School, Stanford University and Mayo Clinic reports that over 95% of our diseases are caused by stress. No wonder we get sicker and sicker. Even our kids are stressed-out and show it with bad temper, ADD/ADHDD and other disorders. In the long term we just cannot cope.

So what are we to do? We need to wind down somehow.  But we know that the best way is to get away from it all. Sometimes you just need to get away and slow down. No rush, no phone, no e-mail. Quality time with your kids, time to play outside, to reconnect, to talk, to collect your thoughts....

But where is that magical place? When you go camping, it awaits you. Just relax by the campfire, go swimming, go hiking, watch the clouds, sleep outside (well, almost).
The best times for the kids. Playing outside with their new friends till dawn, going to bed late, sleeping in. Memories are made for a lifetime.

Nature awaits you, the birds and frogs and butterflies are right there. Playing in the mud is allowed (well, sometimes). Take a deep breath. Slow down.

Recharge your batteries and release your stress. Ahhhh......