Is it time to clear your calendar?

It’s been several weeks since the last blog post and that is by no accident I can assure you!  No sooner than I completed my last assignment for my nutritional supplement course at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) my bags were packed and I checked one more item of my goal list for 2012 and became a world traveler!

My recent healthful hiatus landed me in Europe where I spent two weeks traveling France and Italy,  spending my days entrenched in the ancient ruins of Rome followed by lazier afternoons sipping Prosecco on the Amalfi Coast of Southern Italy. The only thing planned was dinner…somewhere…wherever the mood struck!  I had no cell phone service and left my laptop at home. Although, I will admit I did check my email on a Wi-Fi connection from time to time when available but mainly for hotel reservations I swear!

No need to feel guilty…give yourself your permission!

I noticed I felt a bit guilty when I was no longer tethered to my smartphone like I should be checking in for work. It was nice to learn to let go. I knew this was just my societal-imposed preconceived falsehood that I had to be busy 24/7  to be successful. Nonetheless, I still heard that ever so tiny voice in the back of my mind that wondered if my capable assistant properly followed up with the incoming business calls or if my house sitter remembered to water the basil plant. This voice quickly faded as I immersed myself at the moment and strolled the French Rivieria’s Promenade des Anglais in Nice, breaking only for raspberry gelato or an Americano cafe.  It’s worth noting though that it took some effort and a commitment on my part to quiet my inner left brain and disconnect from the weight of the worldly madness that weighs on us daily to completely indulge and appreciate the moment.

Embrace your healthful pursuit

From work deadlines and family responsibilities to smartphones that track your every move it’s important to carve out time that recharges and rejuvenates you daily. When you’re so programmed to stay connected and juggle a multitude of different things on a revolving basis you can get lost in the shuffle and your creativity and inspiration take a particularly stiffening blow. Your left brain (logical, analytical) overshadows and inhibits your right brain (intuitive, creative). Not to mention when your knee deep in the daily grind your days quickly turn into weeks, months, and then years until before you realize it you’ll be that person at the office holiday party talking about how the last 15 years just flew by and you missed it!

Your healthful hiatus does not need to take you to some foreign faraway land (though it is highly recommended)

Every day do something for yourself that brings renewed energy and inspiration and removes you from your never-ending ‘to-do’ list. What motivates and uplifts you? My daily trips to yoga or pilates, occasional art class, early morning coffee sessions, or the quiet evenings cooking with enjoying a glass of red wine (cell phones and TV off) all serve this purpose.  On occasion, I break out my canvas and acrylics to sketch and paint and this summer I will be taking up digital photography. I already have an amateur off-the-cuff experience under my belt from my recent travels. These are some of my daily simple pleasures and I look forward to these moments because they keep my mind nimble and my step a little lighter.

Oh, and by the way the house sitter did forget to water the basil plant!