Calgon… Take me away!
Okay, sorry about that.. a bit of an inside joke. Or, was it?
How many times a day do you find yourself muttering those words
to yourself.
I may be aging myself here but I think that sentiment is felt by
everyone, at some point. As busy entrepreneurs, we need to “get
away from it all” in order to rejuvenate our bodies and our
minds.
Our days, as home-based business owners, are filled with task
after task, project after project, both personal and business.
And, if we don’t take a little time to take a breather, we can
end up burning ourselves out.
How you choose to recharge your batteries is a personal choice.
For myself, I make sure to take ‘family time’. When 6 o’clock
(at the latest) rolls around, my computer goes into sleep mode
and my brain officially switches to “life” mode. I don’t know
what it is but, just the thought of relaxing (even if it is
mixed with a few household chores) has a calming effect on me.
It’s kind of like a winding down feeling.
There are many other ways to help you calm your nerves and take
a break:
Get back to nature. Puttering around in your garden can make you
feel very relaxed. Sure, pulling weeds and watering your plants
may seem like hard work but the rewards from your efforts have a
calming effect. Watching your plants blossom and flourish is a
wonderful site.
Curl up with a good book. After you have put the kids to bed,
find a quiet place and open up a favorite book or that book you
have always wanted to read. Winding down this way may go a
little far and you may fall asleep. But, if that does happen,
who cares? And just imagine what it will do for you.
Go to the movies. Actually, why not bring the movies to you? You
local video store has all the latest releases and most of the
classics. Grab a healthy snack, curl up on the couch and pop the
movie or DVD in. Again, if you fall asleep… so be it. Just pop
that movie back in later, when you are more awake.
Sit down to a special meal. In our busy lives, our schedules can
sometimes cross paths and we may not have time to eat meals
together. But, we need to! So, whether you want a romantic meal
with your partner or a family meal without the TV turned on, be
sure to mark it on everyone’s calendar and then just sit and
enjoy each other’s company.
Take a trip. Once again, it is important to take yourself
completely out of the entrepreneurial setting. That means that
you need to get away from home… the place where your office may
reside. Whether it is a day out with the family, a weekend away
at the cottage, or a week or two on a sunny beach, every little
bit of R&R can have a rejuvenating effect.
Soak your troubles away. One of the most relaxing feelings there
is! There is nothing like a long soak in a warm tub or
whirlpool. Even a sauna or hot shower can do wonders to relieve
the tension.
Take up a hobby or exercise. Have you always wanted to build
birdhouses? Or, how about joining a gym? Why not start now? It
may be helpful to start off slow so, don’t choose something that
requires following a schedule. Eventually you can move on to
taking classes or joining a sports team. Hobbies and sports can
help to get your mind off of any worries you may have.
Even sitting down in a quiet spot to write an article, like this
one, can help ease frayed nerves.
So, no matter how you choose to relax, please remember that you
are entitled to some time to just put your feet up, at least for
a little while. Taking a break can help you to relax and perhaps
get a new perspective on things.
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