Just Breathe - Relax and Recharge



Every woman is familiar with the act of juggling. You are juggling your time, energy and money between roles and responsibilities of being a wife, mom, worker, sister, aunty, lover, friend, and just being you. We wake up each morning and immediately start functioning in one of these roles. First, however, you must find time every day to let out the steam and breathe in all this hustle.
 
 
Let's look at the typical day of a Mom with two kids living in the city, working 8 to 5. The alarm rings at 5:30 in the morning she doesn't have time to sleep. Her mind is alert as she gets up to start her day. She gives her husband a nudge to wake up; he turns on his side and continues his sleep. She walks into her kid's room and begins to wake them up in a firm but gentle manner. One by one, each child's eyes open and focuses on her. She takes them into the bathroom and prepares them for school. Then she dashes down to the kitchen to make their breakfast. It is 6 am now, and she has 45mins to pack their lunch box and get ready for work. 
 
 
The lunch box is packed in less than 10mins, and she goes to her room. Her husband is up and getting ready too. She dashes into the bathroom for a quick shower and is out in another 7 minutes. She decides what outfit to wear in 30 seconds and gets dressed in 5 minutes. She's going for the business casual look this morning. In another 10 minutes, she's ready to go. She grabs her bag, and the children follow suit heading out the door. Her husband comes out a few minutes later: a quick kiss and a wave, and the family is off to different destinations- Daycare, Pre -School, and work. 
 
 
At 7:45 am, she's seated at her office desk, sipping her tea. A quick prayer is uttered silently that her day at work will not be dramatic. No annoying clients, no ridiculous demands from her boss, just some peace to clear her table of all outstanding tasks. Her prayers are answered, and her day flies quietly without a hitch. It's 5 pm and time to pick up the kids. She says goodnight to her co-workers and heads out the door. On the way to the school, she stops at the supermarket to pick up some items. That takes another 30 minutes to complete, and she's off again. Finally, she arrives at her kids' school and is reminded about the school open day coming up next week. In another 5mins, they are on their way, driving slowly in the highway traffic.
 
 
It's 7 pm, and they arrive home. The kids turn on the TV and begin to watch their favourite show. Although she hates how much time they spend in front of the TV, she has no choice but to indulge them. It gives her a few minutes of peace and quietness. Three minutes and she's changed into something comfortable. She picks up the kids individually, prepares them for bed, and then heads to the kitchen to make dinner. The kids' stay awake long enough to have dinner. After a few minutes, they fall asleep on the living room floor. Her husband arrives at 9 pm and picks them up to bed. They share a quiet dinner, each talking about their day. At 10:30 pm, she's changed and ready for bed. Her head hits the pillow. Her husband turns off the light for much-needed rest: just enough before the next alarm rings and the circle begins again.
 
 
Getting caught up in your daily chores and striving to accomplish all you set out to do is easy. It's so easy to be engaged in so many activities, actively dispensing all your energy and intelligence, that you forget to stop and recharge. But, just like batteries, we all need to renew our inner strength from time to time. It could be by taking a vacation or spending some time alone. What I find most compelling is spending a few minutes daily in quietness - reading and praying. Trust me, it works! That's where I find the strength to forgive whatever may have gone wrong in the cause of my day and where I find inspiration for my creative outlets. It could be a few minutes in the morning or a few minutes at night - whichever I can take, I make the most of it. In our troubled world, there will always be madness and mayhem. To keep your sanity, you need to find time to breathe.
 
 
How do you catch your breath? What re-energizes you? 

Comments

  1. Quiet time alone in the morning. Like now. Morning walks also was my way of breathing but can only happen when kids are on holiday.
    Uzo

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  2. Music does it for me.
    I enjoy the freedom music gives. Also, I listen to the radio while in traffic and giggle loudly to relax.
    Bolu.

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  3. Morning walks are usually fun but I find it hard to get up early enough these days. Music is a winner with me any day too. My most inspiring song for breathing is "It's a beautiful day" by India Arie, great classic.

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