Drift: Rest without Guilt

Oh, the irony.

This isn't how I imagined writing this month's article.

Yesterday, I was sitting here absolutely pooped, trying to write about the importance of resting without feeling guilty, while mentally making a list of all the things I needed to do... or perhaps all the things I thought I needed to do.

We'd been up since 7am tidying the house ready for a viewing at 11. We let the estate agents do the viewings, which means we're evicted for a little while. Husband headed off to play golf while I deposited the dog into the back seat of the car, picked up my best mate and the three of us headed off for a walk across the school fields.  It was lovely.

We chatted about everything and nothing, solved all our problems and, as always, she came up with a bang-on great idea for me. However, by the time I got home, my body was fibro-twanging and slowly clocking off.  My body wanted rest.  My brain, however, was shouting,  "Chores! Beads! Write! Cricket! Listings!"

So there I was, after eating some lunch and tidying up the kitchen, sitting in front of the telly, trying to watch the cricket while writing this article, and all I really wanted to do was close my eyes for a snooze.  And snooze I did. 

And do you know what?  Everything I thought had to be done could wait.  The cricket had been recorded, the listings could wait another day and for once, I rested and didn’t feel guilty about doing it.

As I sat there later in the evening, it got me thinking.  August has always felt a little different, hasn't it?

Even if you don't have children, there's a subtle shift in the pace of life in August.  

Ironically, the month we often associate with slowing down can become one of the busiest.  Suitcases appear from the loft, calendars fill up with barbecues and day trips, and we end up treating our time off like another job - planning every day, squeezing in every attraction and then returning home feeling like we need another week to recover.

What if this August looked a little different?

Imagine…

Imagine laying back on a large inflatable, gently drifting around a lazy river.

You're not steering.

You're not trying to get to the end.

You're not thinking about what needs doing when you get out.

You're simply letting the water carry you.

You can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and the only decision you have to make is whether to close your eyes or watch the ripples dancing across the water.

That is the August I want for everyone.

Whether your holiday is in August, September or you're not going away at all, I hope you find your own version of a lazy river and simply drift.  Somewhere you can rest without guilt.

It might be a week in Spain.

It might be a walk with the dog.

A book in the garden.

An afternoon snooze.

An hour watching the telly.

Or simply sitting quietly with a cup of tea while the world carries on around you.

It doesn't matter where.  It’s the feeling what matters.

Of course, life still has to happen but somewhere, in amongst the to-do lists, holidays, sightseeing, packed lunches and house chores, I hope we can all find a little space to simply drift.