All this to say that I learned, eventually, to take down time. I was much better for it. My performance increased in the gym, my work, and my personal life all improved. Down time is critical to our well
being – you know, you don’t build muscle while you’re working out. That time is spent tearing down the muscle, and the recovery period is what actual grows and strengthens your body. That recovery period is critical! Your body needs sleep and rest….let me repeat myself – you need rest and sleep!
Another aspect of self care that
is important is work – leave it there! You need time to mentally disengage and relax, and in this day of constant connection (phone, tablet, computer), we can really let it take over our entire life. Don’t neglect yourself and your family for work – it will still be there tomorrow!
Finally – family…family demands can be overwhelming at
times. So many time, we find ourselves sacrificing ourselves to please our families and meet their needs. That’s all well and good, until we crash and burn, at which point we’re useless to anyone. There’s nothing wrong with taking some time out of your day to focus on you – it’s not selfish, or destructive…in fact, it will recharge your batteries and allow to function better!
Our modern society constantly puts pressure on us to burn the candle at both ends – sleep is for when you die, always doing something, being busy, and being, or at least acting, productive. It’s a recipe for disaster – more stuff and more activity doesn’t make one happy.
I’ll leave you with a parting thought, taking this back to fitness and wellness. All this going and going, overtraining, staying up late, working hard, meeting others needs leads to negative stress. Stress affects the bodies hormones, and can wreak havoc on your fitness goals. There are times that the hormonal changes brought on by stress can overcome
any diet and activity that you participate. It can also bring on illness – I know for me, a couple of late or sleepless nights bring on the first signs of a cold. Would you believe it – that activity your doing in an attempt to meet your fitness goals may be just the thing that’s derailing them! Take a break once in a while, relax, and and enjoy some downtime!
P.S. Do me a favor, hit reply and tell me one way you take care of yourself? Do you get a pedicure, or a facial? How about a day at Spa or a Massage? Or just some Netflix and Chill time!
