Just Be

Very recently I was fortunate enough to escape the city life and head to the most tranquil, wholesome and mind nourishing place I think I've ever been to. This perfect little cabin pictured above is located in rural Nova Scotia and it has so much to offer...but before I continue let me ask you an important question. When is the last time you took a break? Finding it hard to answer that question? Most of you probably can't even remember. How do you expect to recharge your body's battery if you never give it a rest? It doesn't matter who you are, we all need a solid break from time to time. Let me tell you about my latest experience with taking a break. An experience where I could just be.

For New Year's eve I decided to dodge any obnoxious parties and head straight for the country. It was the best decision I could have made for many reasons. All I wanted to ring in the New Year was a quiet retreat with no distractions. That's certainly what I got. By having no electricity, no running water and cooking my food in a cast iron skillet on a wood stove I had an extreme feeling of being grounded. This was a true break. A break from doing laundry, a break from work/computers/cell phones, from people I really didn't feel like being around, and most importantly a break for my busy mind to relax. I've always been a pretty grounded person, but up until my little cabin escape my mind was in a million places. Focusing on a particular task for an extended period of time has never been my forte and no matter how hard I tried, I'd find myself doing fifty different things at once. Nothing ever seemed to get done and it can become very frustrating when this is a repeating occurrence. I was determined to not worry about this and try to gain some focus. Guess what? I did!

Being surrounded by a calm environment enabled me to think clearly. I left my to-do list behind and just did whatever I wanted, when I wanted! Because I wasn't worrying about figuring out my game plan for the new year I found the ideas coming to me. What a great feeling it is to have a clear and focused arrangement fall gracefully into place after all that time I spent frantically trying to put a plan together. I felt accomplished without really doing much (which probably seems backwards to most people considering we equate feeling a sense of accomplishment with being busy). I know many personalities who exhaust themselves because they always feel the need to please/produce/create/achieve. Do yourself a favour. Take a break!

To help direct you onto the right path I have a few homework assignments for you:

1. Book a time in your calender where you can do nothing. Treat this as you would any other appointment and do not cancel it! This is your time. Sit, relax, take deep breaths. Do nothing. You need this time to reconnect with yourself and eliminate all distractions. Do this for as long as you can...10 minutes a day, or an hour every week. Don't bend with this time, it's yours.

2. Plan a mini escape a few times a year. This is another crucial appointment you must book in your calender. Remove yourself from your everyday environment and recharge your battery!

3. Practice meditation, yoga or any other form of relaxation. If you find it difficult to meditate there are many great guided meditations available online. Some of my favourite guides are Deepak Chopra and Christine Arylo. They cover a variety of topics and can really put you in a state of ease.

To wrap it all up, what I've realized from my 'taking a break' experience is that to create my best work or have a clearer mind it's absolutely non-negotiable to pencil in a time to just be. I hope you give it a try and let me know the results!


Steph
xx