Take Some Time and Unwind

 

You Deserve a Break from Reality

Life can be tough sometimes and become unbearably overwhelming, to say the least. You're working at least eight hours a day. Maybe you even like your job but hell, it’s probably still stressful at times. Maybe you're like me and you don’t like your job at all. Perhaps dealing with some maniacal micromanaging neck breather for a crappy paycheck is weighing you down. If you're like me you also have kids and you love them more than anything, but sometimes they get unruly and act like uncontrollable hellions. Especially in the evening when they get tired. You’re trying to cook dinner and clean up the house from the last day's events. Now the kids are holding cage matches in the living room because they’re cranky, tired, and on top of that hangry. So not only are you trying to play referee, get in a quick workout, get dinner started for the family, and get your kids to pick up their books and do homework. Not a minute goes by that you're not being summoned for multiple requests for something you really don’t have time to add to your plate for the evening. Finally, you think things are under control so you sneak off to your workout room trying to kick off a quick workout and suddenly it sounds like a herd of elephants just trampled across the floor of your home. Ugh! Life really can be relentless.

I have touched on so many different subjects over the last couple of months from working out to repairing credit. Depending on where you might be in the life repairing process or maybe your life is fine and in good order but you are just stressed from everything else sucking the energy out of you. The one thing I haven’t mentioned is all of the other things in life that can have an impact on your progress and your health. There are other things in life besides your credit, finances, and working out. Although these are all very important things. Especially the healthy eating and exercise aspects of your life. Trying to piece all of this together and get it done in one day can induce stress and become very overwhelming. There are days when I don’t finally sit down until eleven o’clock in the evening and the next thing you know I’m asleep waking up in the morning wondering where yesterday went. Now it’s time to do it all over again and you really don’t want to. Sometimes it seems as if every day is just the same thing over and over again. They talk about time management. That might work for some people but sometimes there just isn’t enough time to manage. 

Regardless of what life throws at you. One important thing you should always do. No matter what is happening around you. YOU HAVE TO TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF. You need to catch your breath and reset. Homelife with a big family is a lot to deal with and can ultimately be overwhelming at best. On top of that working toward other goals as we have discussed rebuilding your life can be stress-inducing as well. The repair process does take time. Saving money takes time, credit repair takes time. Getting results from working out takes time. The key is to keep pushing yourself and keep working hard and it will eventually pay off with real results. But don’t push yourself till you collapse. You need a break and you deserve one. Take some time for your mental health. Honestly, if you push yourself too much you may just end up giving up and possibly failing at your efforts. 

Maybe I can even learn a bit from my own words as well. I used to be extremely impatient and always wanted instant gratification from my efforts. This is why I often gave up on everything because I didn’t see the results fast enough. Give yourself some credit, you’re making changes and working hard at it. On top of that, you’re dealing with real life. The reality, however, is that sometimes you need to let go for a bit and give yourself a break from reality.

You just need to take a step back. Remember you're taking on a lot, you're making strides and things will come together. The fruits of your labor will ultimately reduce your stress, but sometimes these efforts themselves can be stressful. All of the things you’re doing daily are great things but sometimes you need a break from them. You just need some quiet time to be alone and relax or maybe you're not that interested in being alone but want to spend more time with your family because you're not getting enough. Whatever you need to do to relax and enjoy life, just do it! I happened to be one of the fortunate people over the last Christmas to get a hold of a Playstation 5. I haven’t touched the thing in weeks, although I thought about it, I just wasn’t getting the time to get on and play. I like video games, to me, they are a great escape from reality and offer a good way to unwind. Well, I got on over the weekend for the first time in a long time and I had the time of my life. I felt good and it gave me some time to unwind and escape from real life for a bit. 

I have learned from experience that sometimes you just need to treat yourself. Do whatever will make you happy and give you some sense of well-being. You're socking away some money now and the bills should be getting paid down. You're also dealing with that insane micromanaging boss at work. On top of that your household is like another job. You need a break, take yourself or your family out for a nice dinner or something fun. Buy that video game or new pair of shoes you’ve been putting off due to the feeling of guilt you might have after making the purchase. Obviously, now might not be the time to run out and buy something big, but small things can be just as fun and make you feel good. Be proud of all of the things you are accomplishing at home as well as all of the things you are doing to fix your life and reduce your overall stress. So what, if a small purchase sets your savings goal back a week or maybe two. Just relax, if you're on track a week or two won’t hurt you. Just remain strict with yourself and make sure you don’t let things spiral. Treat yourself then get right back to meeting your goals. Little breaks from reality once in a while can do wonders for your health and overall stress as well. It’s like eating healthy for weeks and then you indulge in a candy bar. Guess what? You’ve been doing great and you deserve a treat. Relax, don’t fret, and enjoy the candy. Afterward, just continue back on track with your plan. Don’t make a habit out of the things that can set you back, but do enjoy life.

Aside from just treating yourself financially. Remember to always take some time for yourself to relax. Maybe take a little alone time and go for a walk on a nature trail or on the beach. Take a drive somewhere and just look at some different and relaxing scenery and take time to smell the fresh air. Springtime is almost here. Depending on where you live that might mean warmer weather is coming. Sometimes just getting out of the house and doing some yard work with your headphones on while listening to your favorite stream or music can be relaxing. Maybe washing and waxing the car is your thing or taking a walk with the dog. The point is that you need to take a break from real life and just relax. Do something you enjoy like having a friend over and drink a glass of wine and laugh a little, unwind and have some fun. 

The point is that your job, your home life, as well as all of the hard work you're putting into regaining control of your life, can be stressful. Having to work long hours all day only to come home to even more work and with the hope of getting the weekends to relax can be very overwhelming. In fact, the weekends just seem to blend into the weekdays sometimes with even more work and it seems hard to just getaway, you need to make time. Unwinding and letting go once in a while can help you center yourself and realign your chi. Then once it's time to get back to real life, you can feel good and refreshed. Getting back to work after some R & R might just be what resets your pace and gets you motivated again to keep working hard at whatever you’re trying to accomplish.