Welcome Wednesday: PSA - Take Time to Slow Down and Recharge!

[#1]

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

"Life Moves Pretty Fast. If You Don’t Stop And Look Around Once In A While, You Could Miss It." - Ferris Bueller

This is a great quote from an even better movie.  If you have never seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off I can't recommend it enough!

Yesterday, my wife and I took this advice.  We got the kids off to daycare/school then we had a leisurely start to the morning.  We went out for lunch and took the dog out for an afternoon walk before picking the kids up again.

We had no agenda, we weren't running around furiously trying to get as many things accomplished as we could before having to pick up the kids, we just took things at a slower pace.

I'm usually terrible for moving at 100 MPH even on days off, trying to do much more than I really have the capacity to complete.  This was one of the BEST recharge days I have had in a very long time.

So, for this week, I don't have a question for you.  Just a recommendation to take a random day off and do nothing, or next to nothing.

Do you have a book, TV show or movie that everyone has been telling you to see/read? Do that!  The important thing is to try and relax.

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

[Jack Brickey]

Recharging is critical! I speak from a very experienced position now that I have retired. It is so easy to become absorbed into the daily grind that you miss the small but so important things in life. 

oh, and I love the movie!

"How can I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?”

[Tuncay Senturk]

I couldn't agree more. It's all too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life, constantly rushing from one task to another. Sometimes we need to just take a step back and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. 

[Josué Garcia]

For those who are not spontaneous, I'd say schedule the day/time you take off to rest and do something you like to do instead of working at the desk. The easiest thing to do it sleep in and watch TV. But for me, rest comes in many forms. Whether either grilling or making a new dish, going outside on a hike, tinker with some project I never finished and the occasional nap :-) 

[Taranjeet Singh]

@Jimmy Seddon Thank you for your post and the great advice of taking some random time/day off to relax and recharge oneself!

I think my wife and I will plan for it soon so that we can spend more time with our kids during our time/day off.

[Victoria Vlad]

This is great advice! To unwind, my wife & I like to go for random drives with nowhere specific in mind. We pick a direction & head that way and as we come to an intersection, we take turns deciding to go left, right or straight (or gaily forward as we say). This has led us to discover some very cool places we would otherwise never know about. Our friends will ask us what new things we have recently discovered because they know we often take these random drives & of course, we love sharing our fun finds with our friends. It's great to have days where you do things not because you have to, but because you want to. These are my favorite kind of days. Wishing you all lots of days filled with only things you want or like to do :-)

[Ashwini_More _miniOrange]

It's incredibly simple to become entangled in the frenetic pace of our everyday routines, ceaselessly moving from one obligation to the next. Occasionally, we must pause, reflect, and savor life's uncomplicated joys.

lets work hard and play harder!!

[Pragya_Malhotra]

Can relate to this @Jimmy SeddonA Random day off can make the difference and recharge you for the next couple of weeks.

[Laurie Sciutti]

Needed to be reminded of this, today.  Thank you @Jimmy Seddon !

[tsmith]

I had an unexpected free evening yesterday and stuffed it full of chores to the point where I ended up hurrying to bed at the same time as if it had been a regular late night with my regularly scheduled engagements.

This is timely advice, and the Ferris Bueller quote really resonates today. I'll add this movie to my watch list. I've always known about it and never felt compelled to see it until now. Maybe I'll take a mini break tonight and finally do it!

[Summer Hogan]

Thanks for the great advice @Jimmy Seddon! I'm going to Hawaii in October and my plan is to just get as much R&R as I possibly can! I've been to the Big Island so many times already and done most of the tourist stuff, so this trip is reserved for pool days, a spa day and getting lots of rest! I can't wait! 

[Sam Aida]

Great advice. My husband and I take a long weekend every spring to slow down and recharge without the kids. We are always busy and running around - it's nice to be forced to stop for a bit. I need to sprinkle this advice more into my daily life in smaller ways!

[Amanda Barber]

This sounds like an amazing day and a great way to reconnect with your spouse. I'd love to squeeze in a day like this in the coming weeks. Great post, Jimmy!

[Mohammad Jouni _Anvilyard_]

Thanks for the reminder! As a family, we are trying to block certain hours in the evening to focus on quality time, no matter what is happening. That is helping us stave off burnout. 

[Ryan Perry]

Great advice and perspective @Jimmy Seddon look forward to more insights down the road!

[Andy Gladstone]

Inspired by this post, my wife and I decided to take a day off in the 3rd week of October. Once our kids are all out the door (by 8AM) we are going to drive 1.5-2 hours north to the Hudson Valley in New York. There we are planning on renting eBikes and riding along a portion of the Empire State Trail to leaf peep and enjoy the changing foliage that autumn brings. Picnic lunch, fresh air, and time together away from email, Slack, etc. I'm enjoying the planning and am feeling relaxed already.

Thanks @Jimmy Seddon! 

[Andrew _Zim_ Zimmerman _Appfire_]

I always really enjoy when people share when they take time off and what they did to recharge.

There is much advice out there to "take time for yourself and recharge" often with little evidence of the advice giver doing that themselves! So thank you for sharing your day off with us, @Jimmy Seddon!

Brought me joy to read about it.