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These days the idea of taking a break can seem laughable. Between weather disasters, economic stresses, and just the tangles of everyday life, it can feel like we have to run as fast as possible to just barely keep up.
Running Isn’t Always Progress
Sometimes it all reminds me of Alice in Wonderland. In one scene of the book, Alice is running with the Red Queen, sprinting until she is out of breath. When they stop Alice is shocked to see that she is still in the same place. The Queen explains by saying that in her kingdom “It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”
Life can feel like we are running with the Red Queen—going as fast as we can and still not getting anywhere. But it isn’t really true. Stress and frustration and anger (and the Red Queen has all of these!) can make us feel frantic, like we can’t stop, not even for a second. Yet, stopping and recharging is so important. Without rest, we will run out of energy and eventually just burn out.
We feel like we can’t stop, but if we don’t stop sometimes we will end up hitting a wall of exhaustion.
What do we do?
The Rule of Three
As a first step, let me suggest the Rule of Three.
Three times a day,
Take Three slow deep breaths,
And think about Three things you’re grateful for.
Easy, right? For example, while brushing your teeth in the morning, take three deep breaths and think about someone you love, something in nature, and a line from your favorite song. At lunch (and you need to eat something during the day!) take three deep breaths and think about playing with your dog, your friend who tells the corniest jokes, and your mom’s homemade pound cake. Before bed, take three deep breaths and think about someone you can talk to when you need to vent, how pretty the sunset was this evening, and how lucky you are to have your comfortable bed.
All of this will only take about three minutes out of your day, but will help you feel more solid, more relaxed, and more focused.
So, don’t live in the kingdom of the Red Queen, rushing fast but getting nowhere. Take three little breathing timeouts during each day; it’ll give you more energy and focus so you can actually make progress. Go a little slower in order to go faster, and keep thriving!
