Listen to your body - Key #2

Hey all - just a quick note this morning to pass on a little tidbit. In the midst of my month with no distractions (o.k. it's impossible for a mom to have no distractions, so let me clarify that by that I mean, "No willful, personal behavior distractions,") I had a lot more space to notice things. When I wasn't just rushing through life, or filling my days with drivel, I found that my attention was drawn to things I previously missed.

Have you ever noticed that if you sit at the computer a long time you have to go to the bathroom? Or that when you've stayed up late at night you are tired? It's interesting, our body is sending us messages all the time, and we miss them. I found that one key to rest is to listen to my body.

If my bladder says I need a break from what I'm doing, then I will take a break from what I'm doing. It's interesting how much more productive I can be when I don't have this incessant urge to pee as an underlying companion to my project.

If my stomach says I'm hungry, I will stop what I'm doing and go get a meal. It's amazing how fast I slide downhill when I ignore the physical prompts to re-nourish my body. I call it "melting." I just melt.

If my whole body says I'm exhausted, then I'm going to stop what I'm doing and either go to bed - if it's nighttime - or sit in my big comfy chair until something requires me to get up. Sometimes I'm only in the chair for less than 2 minutes, but I find it a good practice to recognize that I need rest and make the choice to sit, even if I can't stay long. At that point, it's not really about the physical rest accumulated, but about the mental recognition that there is something I can do about how I feel.

So, that's it for today - listen to your body, I think you might find it's a more restful place.