The Importance of Leisure

Relax. Take a deep breath.

We tend to live in an accelerated state of being. Our lives are way too hurried, hectic, and over-scheduled. Oftentimes, we pack so much into a single day that we forget to enjoy the simple things in life: a good book, an unhurried home-cooked meal shared with a loved one, a lazy carefree afternoon with good friends. I have met people who become stressed out when they have "too much free time" or do not have their lives scheduled down to the very minute. These people become so accustomed to being constantly on-the-go that they often do not even realize that such a fast-paced lifestyle can have dire consequences on their mental and physical health. Here's a great resource with more information about the physical and emotional effects of stress--which is often the byproduct of an overly busy lifestyle--on the body: http://www.stress.org/topic-effects.htm

Don't forget to give yourself time every day to relax, meditate, read, or just sit and think. If you can, use this time to do whatever it is you love but never seem to have the time to do.

Start now:
http://www.donothingfor2minutes.com/
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRAvTGYt0P8

"Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some."
- Robert Fulgham