The list of ways I can occupy my time has become endless. There’s the full-time job, then my creative writing as well as Neptune Your Dial, plus keeping up with posting content on social media, not to mention all the daily tasks- making a dentist appointment, going to yoga class, getting an oil change, walking the dog. Just writing all of this makes me tired, but I can’t complain because it’s mostly self-inflicted. I have goals, we’re supposed to have goals. We’re supposed to stay busy because busy has translated into productive and that’s supposed to be a good thing.
A few days ago I went about my pre-work routine with some writing, yoga, cleaning up, getting ready and then found that I had about half an hour before I had to leave for work. What now? How would I spend this half hour? Should I sit back down and work on my short story? Do the dishes?
I think I ended up sitting at my computer and getting a measly amount of writing in, but it prompted some self-reflection. Why do I feel the need to make each minute of my day productive? I could have spent that time playing with my dog or just sitting with a nice cup of tea… with my dog.
We are constantly looking for ways to make ourselves busy until we’re so exhausted that we can’t do anything except fall on the couch with big plate of Pad Thai and binge watch Gilmore Girls… again. Life gets tiring and stressful and, yes, we want to achieve our dreams, but spending half an hour just enjoying life isn’t going to set us back.
So, here are some things to do when you have a little time to spare for your sanity…
- Go outside, look around, smell a rose, gaze at the night sky
- Play with your dog or you friend’s pet or go to a cat cafe
- Call your friend or parents
- Write in your journal
- Take a stroll without your Fitbit
- Talk to your partner or roommate or call your parents for real this time
- Sip some tea or coffee and just stare out the window… or at a wall
- Meditate and just breathe
These two know how to take a load off
This week much of my time will be spent doing last-minute Christmas shopping, making sure I get enough exercise before I eat a bunch of decadent foods next week and attempting to keep up my writing routine. We all have to remind ourselves to hit pause sometimes before we burn out.
Other news of the week:
I recently started reading Albert Camus’s The Stranger. I’ve read a couple other works by Camus, The Plague and The Fall, and enjoyed them. I was in the mood for something gritty and philosophical. Mission accomplished.
Over the weekend I finished season two of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and it was just that, marvelous. This is my favorite show currently airing and I highly recommend. From the dialogue to the costumes to the character arcs, it’s great. If you haven’t started, check out my review of season one.
The other thing I did over the weekend was attend the Fernbank After Dark holiday party at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History here in Atlanta. I had fun with some friends, hung out with dinosaurs and learned learned that geese have been around for over 60 million years. Yeah.
I hate to say it, but I’m still Christmas shopping (and checking Amazon delivery updates). Hoping to reconcile that over the next couple days. If you still need last minute gifts for friends or family, check out NYD’s 2018 Holiday Gift Guide.
How do you enjoy life when you have a spare minute to escape the constant cycle of busy? Leave a comment!
Neptune Your Dial 