Did you know that some people have trouble slowing down and recharging?
Did you know I was one? Oui – c’est vrai.

So no judgment here. This isn’t a relaxation competition; it’s an invitation to find and dedicate a part of your day to serenity. Everyone’s life has different contents and we each dance to a different rhythm from season to season, but across the board, a combination of diligent work – paced with quiet time, is a key to wellness and refreshment in our approach to everyday life, regardless of what your life looks like.

For a chunk of time I had no idea about the value of pacing yourself, although I’d make sure to put in some daily beach time in between a schedule fit for hummingbirds. Prompted by a few eye-opening wake-up calls and life re-design, quiet time is now a natural part of each day even if it’s sprinkled in my mornings (prayer / devotionals) or tucked into pockets during the evening (cooking to light music.)

What about you?
Y’see, we all know we’re not on this earth forever…but sometimes, we seem to forget and take our health and wellness for granted. If you find you’re feeling a bit ‘on edge,’ grumpy, anxious, ‘sniffly,’ frustrated or numb lately, there are a few points on the checklist to consider:

• pace and place of breathing
• quality of thoughts
• nutritional value of your meals
• recent sleep pattern
• dosage of online time vs real life connection
• exercise / movement
• quantity of daily tasks

Please remember, this isn’t an assessment or contest; it’s a gentle, love-shaped prompt to please carve out some quiet time to just be…to fill up…to breathe deeply…and re-align. We remember to charge our phones and techie tools like clockwork…but with ourselves…mmm, not so much. But aren’t we worth more than the items we ‘own?’ ‘Course we are. So why must our laptops remain at full charge while we’re gasping for breath in real life? Or worse yet, the laptop’s in sleep mode preserving energy, while we run the risk of being anxious and expending energy.

This isn’t about placing ourselves on a pedestal; it’s about putting a structure in place to help us better manage our daily tasks, have lighter – brighter relationships, think and act with more clarity, and exude a more purposeful presence when facing the day.

On that note, here are 5 quiet time ideas for busy-bodies seeking refreshment:

1. head to the balcony or backyard for 5-10 minutes, in the morning before breakfast. If you like, take your hot drink with you – sit and enjoy the sky and birdsongs, or stretch and take in some fresh air.
2. read a book, ideally one that’s not too ‘heavy’ or business-oriented.
3. start a kitchen garden. It can begin with 3 l’il seedlings, but you take the time to nurture them and watch them blossom and grow. As you tend to them, observe how the soft sunlight and water touch the leaves, and the plants respond to loving attention each day.
4. take a light morning or evening stroll through your neighbourhood. Get to know the serenity spots in the area for future reference.
5. have lunch outdoors. If you have a day job and usually eat in the lunchroom, try the garden a couple days a week (hopefully there are some benches where you work) – feed a sparky bird or two, pick a flower and set it in a glass on your desk to remember the quiet moment. If you work from home, how about shifting breakfast or lunch to the patio this time. 

I hope these prompts inspire you to come up with lots more quiet time ideas to lighten your day. Feel free to share in a comment; your idea may encourage someone else who reads this post. Stress is a real-life pre-cursor to many ailments and unwelcome episodes; let’s remember to include activities that invite wellness into our daily rhythm.

Serenity over stress any day. 

Ciao for now, thanks for reading, and have a light rest of the day.