For the umpteenth time I feel like tearing my hair out.
Today is one of those days filled with unnecessary nuisances. I look at my washing machine in utter frustration wondering what now…it went bonkers in the middle of the wash cycle. A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN and of course it is one of those that locks whenever the cycle starts and unlocks when its done.
So what do I do now? I unplugged it from the source and plugged it back in without success. Urrggg… I throw my hands in the air in utter frustration. Needless to say that my episode of blowing up did not help me to feel any better.
Later that evening when my husband got home I explained what had happened with the machine and left him with the problem. At the same time I somewhat got myself in the frame of mind of having to replace the washing machine.
Twenty minutes later he comes to me and say “she’s all yours”.
“What did you do?” I enquired, amazed I must add.
He responds “nothing, I just unplugged it for a few minutes”…
Ladies hear me well. This was one of those light-bulb moments for me. While reflecting, I thought about us and how we are constantly “in use” just like the washing machine on wash days. We load her up with laundry; one cycle after the other, without a break. Is it not easy to see how machines, ourselves… will break, simply because it’s/you are overworked.
And, can we now admit that when we assess ourselves as women we see a similar pattern? Are we not like the washing machine on wash days? Except we are pretty much like that everyday. And rest assured we will get to a point where the constant pushing and problem-solving and trying to make life a better place will take a toll. Our fail-safe is unplugging for a few minutes daily not seconds but actual minutes that will allow us to quiet down, collect ourselves mentally and start again.
It is pretty much similar to a power nap that I learned about in college. How we approach our day is pretty much up to us. The control and management of our day is a conscious decision that we must make to ensure that we remain on top of our game and maintain our ability to help, which is so important to us.
“The pace of this modern age is not conducive to maintaining one’s consciousness. Glued to our electronics, we are blind and deaf to the world around us. Run down by our long work days, we are too exhausted to think and too hurried to feel. The day ends in a haze of strained thoughts, numbness, and fatigue. And we rise the next morning only to start the cycle again.
L.M.Browning
It is up to you now BeyondWoman, what will you do, how about taking our advice. Give yourself the time it needs to remain relevant, excellent and giving, to you as well as those you serve.
UNPLUG & RECHARGE.
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This is one thing I need to master…the art of taking a break. I know that it will allow greater productivity but it’s like I just can’t stop.
This article was an eye opener though. I don’t want to wait until my body gets shut down before I decide to recharge. So, I guess I need to start today.
There is a lot of unlearning that we need to do.
This need or default way of living where we must constantly be doing and sometimes it is not even us but also the demands of those around us needs to be unlearned. In replacement we must take time out. Cheering you on Andrea as you begin to do this… knowing that it is okay, your world will not all apart 🙂