I love to unwind.
Such a large part of my life is jam-packed with activity, chaos, and noise that when I finally have some down time, I find it hard to try to do nothing. I’ve conditioned myself to be busy and active but I don’t allow myself to pause; I am being unkind to my body and mind. I guess I feel slightly guilty when I’m doing very little but that’s a perspective I choose.
Being the acrostic nerd that I am, I came up with a mnemonic for ME TIME to trick myself into feeling productive while I’m at it: the irony wasn’t lost on me:
Mindfulness
Enrichment
Thankful
Inspiration
Meditate
Empowerment
I am trying to incorporate at least one of the attributes above in my down time. As much as the non-teachers may resent me for these next few words, I am still on summer holidays. The thing that many teachers can probably relate to though is that when you get days off as a teacher, you are still planning, problem-solving, and recovering from the role. Before you can even find sanctuary in your mind and get into the swing of holidays it’s time to go back to work.
This summer, I chose not to go anywhere and I feel like I am getting the breathing space I need. I made no plans. I am very much a homebody anyway. I needed to reignite my creativity and I have learned that solace, contemplation, and inner peace has been a good foundation for awakening my creative consciousness. I especially love reading and walks. Reading ignites my imagination and I’ve heard it said that some of the best ideas come from walking. Where do your best ideas come from?
The other day I saw a mother duck and her ducklings swimming in a lake. The moment brought me calm and joy. We can learn a lot from nature and at the best of times, nature tames the chaos in my mind. Who knows I may just feature an acrostic poem about nature in my blog some day. I shall end this entry with a wise quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience”. I hope you find some Me Time in your day.
#relax #unwind #breathe #observenature
A lovely post, JT, and crucial insights about the necessity of taking time to balance and spend quiet time attentive and connected to the beauty of nature around you. 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this entry. I’m glad you found some value in it. After reading your entry last night about Teaching, I began teading Chapter 2 of Pedagogy of the Oppressed and found it a fascinating read. Thanks for quouting it in your blog. I look forward to more of your posts Carol! 🙂