A few years ago I went to a music performance and there was a kind of stand up comic there who gave advice as part of his routine. One person in the audience described feeling frazzled as she was moving, had no job, and felt out of sorts. The advice she got was to "slow down and let the universe catch up to you." I don't remember the name of the comic, but I thought his words were interesting.
I'm terrible at slowing down to let the energies swirling around me catch up.
Image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/24910604165794247/
Like a lot of people, I have a problem with taking time for myself. I am about to hit my vacation accrual limit again at work and I really should ask for a half day off. Somehow I dread doing it though! I'm afraid. According to this article in Forbes, I'm not alone in my fear. "Why Americans Aren't Taking Half of Their Vacation Days." https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateashford/2017/05/31/vacation/#1ba8d331726a
Instead of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) I have Fear of Vacation (FOV). There is so much pressure in taking vacation time. What if I don't use the time wisely? What if I spend part of the day on a big personal project (deep house cleaning, yard work) and am super tired and really behind when I get back to work? How much will the work pile up while I'm gone?
Image Source: http://masterarts.org/contents-under-pressure.html
So, time to breathe, and relax. I really should let go of this illusion of control. I have vacation time. I should be allowed to use it. Even my boss agrees I should take time instead of lose it!
It is not fruitful to fear what might be. It's a better use of energy to deal with what is.
So my homework assignment is to ask for a half day off work. In December. :) To spend some time relaxing and recouping.
My photo - Lake Michigan
