Take a day to rejuvenate yourself!

When you feel like you are tottering on the edge and you just need a break -- you should just take one. In today’s busy world, it is easy to fall into the trap of never taking any time for yourself. Hence, you will notice that just about every time you pick up a newspaper or magazine these days, you will find a study declaring that Americans are more stressed, sleep deprived and time-crunched than they ever have been.

While it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to turn the clock back, it’s almost certain that you could benefit from some real time away from the things that drain you. Here are some simple suggestions for a day of luxuriating in simple pleasures:

*Disconnect. Promise yourself that you will not answer your cell phone, return a text message or check your e-mail. People, you realize, have survived for millennia without these things, and it’s highly likely that you’ll survive, and probably emerge refreshed from unplugging and turning off for a change.

*Rent a simple cabin, take a book, and a light and escape for an evening. Put your feet up and read a book you’ve been meaning to get to for years, but haven’t been able to find the time for.

*Cook only simple meals for a week. Keep it healthy, but don’t go crazy in preparations. You don’t need to prepare a gourmet meal every time you cook. Good enough will be OK. No one will starve and you may be able to squeeze in a little relaxation time.

*Take your vacation time. Are you hoarding or squandering earned days? Do you lose them if you don’t use them? Or are you just building up a cache of time that you will use “when you need to”? Everyone needs a break, but people seem to be almost unwilling to take them these days.

Keep in mind that the workplace and world will survive, probably quite well, if you go on vacation.

Reprinted from Floor Care Professional, February 2007