Rehydrate

Please take a day off. Maybe 3. How about a week?

If you already did, then you are ahead of the game.  

Maybe you’ve been playing with the idea of some days off. After all, we’ve been at this pandemic for awhile now – decades? If you are like me, however, it feels strange to admit that ‘I need a break’ when I’ve been home. Make no mistake, however, time off is needed more than ever.  

And yet I still find myself resisting – the whole idea. Partly because imagining where I can safely go limits my imagination right out of the gate. Partly because I’ve become a little agoraphobic. The wider world feels almost over-stimulating, even while my immediate world seems over-saturated. My practical and safe voice seems to be winning – and so I keep working and managing and coping.

In my experience, though, this won’t carry me. When I feel like “I can’t possibly” is when “I must absolutely”. It’s like hydration. By the time you notice you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. And I’ve been dehydrated for awhile already. I know this for sure because earlier this summer I clumsily tried to rehydrate one weekend. Our friends lent us their lovely cottage for a weekend. I relaxed a little and, in so doing, the parts of me that were tightly held started to loosen. Like a dried out riverbed. When the earth is too dry it doesn’t absorb water easily – or quickly enough. And, it can easily flood. Same happened to me. The undercurrent of stress in the air had taken a toll, and as I eased into a more relaxed state, it was impossible to absorb the release of emotion. A flash flood of sorts. A necessary starting point, and a good learning – my next break will need to be longer to give myself time to slowly rehydrate and restore my balance and flow.

If a few days aren’t accessible, claim a day. An unscheduled day to read, walk, bike, call a friend. You are likely already finding time for fun and restoration inside your regular day. Hear me when I say that is not the same thing as claiming a day and stepping into it from an affirmative place. ‘This day is mine’ is different from ‘I’ll find some time for myself around the edges today – when others are busy or don’t need me.’

How in tune are you with your saturation and hydration levels right now? What would be the most beneficial way to restore and recharge?If you imagine an ideal day, what is present? And, even if those ideas aren’t accessible, what can you create that comes close? Be creative! 

Take a day off. Take 3. Take a week. Let me know what you choose to do.