Stillness
This has been a very busy, stressful month for me and mine. Our little one got sick (she’s better), which required around the clock care. The around the clock care is not the complaint…taking care of a child when he or she is sick is the thing that allows a parent to earn their stripes in life. What was draining was the emotional toil created from worrying about her well-being. On top of her being ill; we all got sick and were confined to our house for a full seven days; we had work obligations; several doctor’s appointments; school activities; a birthday party to plan; Holiday shopping; Santa assisting; a family drama that I had to pull myself out of; and, another mini-mini drama that I myself helped to instigate; and, our regular sitter fractured her foot so she was out of the game.
And that is when it hit me. Sometimes life begins to near toward a lot…of outside noise, of interference and of interruptions. And, that in turn creates too much stress, activity and movement in and around our lives. Yes, I do believe that there are times our minds and our bodies become overwhelmed with stress – that it all becomes too much. I also believe that when we find ourselves under that demand of life that our defenses are down and that these are the moments when we find the discipline we have attempted to utilize to construct a more ordered life are weakened. How often do we find ourselves binging on food, alcohol; exercise; dramas; or the like, because we just need a release?
If you haven’t read Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, do consider giving it a look. The book documents through statistics and research the ways in which unhealthy foods or a lack of sleep, exercise or…food, weakens our resolve in life.
And so, without encouraging anyone to create resolutions for themselves this New Year (do you really think that we at BohoMamma would encourage another to-do list for you?), I do support each of us in recognizing the importance of stillness in our lives. Stillness and doing nothing is not a form of slackerdom, it is an approach to wellness and well-being. It is turning off the noise outside, so that we can turn up our reserves to manage life. It is creating a buffer between ourselves and the outside world, enabling us to better act instead of react; to drive instead of be driven; and, to engage versus walking through life tired and worn.
So as women, let’s remind each other that it is okay to be still…to sneak into a darkened theater for an afternoon movie or to sit on your bed with the curtains drawn watching a movie in the middle of the afternoon. It’s all right to take an hour bath. Yes, we have busy lives. Yes, we have things on our task lists. But we also have only ourselves to accomplish those goals and if we limp along in a weakened state, not only are we less apt to accomplish anything, we are far less likely to do so appreciating the task at hand. Sometimes, we need to do nothing. And we need to embrace nothing as a form of wellness in our lives. It’s okay.
