Something you're probably going to hear me talking about a lot is becoming more child-like in my view of the world. This past summer, I became a full-time nanny of one of the most delightful babies I have ever known. She was just a couple of months old at the time, and is now 10 months old, just on the verge of walking. The more time I spend with her, the more I realize how "old" I have become, not in years, but in my attitudes. The simple way that children approach the world is so easily crowded out by the stresses and sheer busy-ness of modern life. I will be a far better nanny, mom, and wife if I can remember how enjoyable it is to view the world through the eyes of a child.
Kids don't care if there's a little dust on the furniture, they just want you to play with them. Unfortunately, most of us have forgotten how to play just for the sake of playing. What we really need to do is simply hop, skip, dance, be silly. Most adults work all day (or work at being at home moms) and then in their rare free time, they generally tend to do one of two things: veg in front of the TV, or participate in competitive sports. Now, I'm not knocking sports, but if we're talking about stress reduction, competition is not really conducive. I'm talking about playing just because it's FUN! How often do we do this? When we don't, why not? Is it because we're too busy, we just don't have the time? I would like to suggest that it's a vital element that has been slowly crowded out of daily life, and we need to make an intentional effort to reestablish it.
I also don't want to sound like I'm trying to vilify TV. I understand the desire to unwind in front of a favorite show after a long day. But I'd like to ask you this: could you take just a half hour of that time and spend it doing something fun? It doesn't have to be extremely energetic, or "cardio", but getting up off the couch is a great thing. If you can get out and enjoy nature, that's even better! I'll talk about some indoor/down time alternatives in a later post. But the trick is this: You can't feel guilty about taking the time to do this; that's just adding another source of stress. Consider it an investment in your physical, mental, and spiritual health. We can apply ourselves so much better to the things that we HAVE to do if we are occasionally recharging ourselves by doing something just because we enjoy doing it.
I have a challenge for you this week. Over the next several days, try to spend some time doing something fun. You don't want it to be something where you feel pressure to be productive. Don't worry about whether you're burning calories, or accomplishing a specific goal. Remember, this should be stress reducing, not stress inducing.
If you have kids in your house, or young relatives that live close, this is even easier to implement, because they will be happy to teach you how to play again. Turn on the music and do a silly dance. Go outside (if weather permits) and play a game of tag, or even climb a tree, if you're able. Go to a park to swing and go down the slide! Maybe even make a mud pie! Don't watch the clock, just enjoy being in the moment. If you don't have a kid of your own, or one nearby to borrow, a dog would be happy to play with you! Throw a ball, bone, or frisbee, chase the dog and let him chase you, just have fun!
If you don't have access to kids or dogs, try to find another adult, preferably one who HASN'T forgotten how to play! Try a round of frisbee golf, a pick-up game, just don't forget that a little bit of competition is fine, but too much ends up being more stressful, which defeats the whole purpose of this challenge!
My favorite ways to get moving and play like a child: dance party with the baby and Katie, chasing my new puppy, hiking in the woods while taking time to enjoy the beauty. What activities do you like to do, just for the sake of doing it? What can make you smile and get you relaxing and enjoying the simple life?
Monday, January 28, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
What the Savor Simple Life blog is all about
We've all heard the mnemonic KISS, Keep It Simple, Stupid. We may laugh when we hear it, but I think that is perhaps the best way to approach nearly every aspect of our day, our relationships, and our lives in general. I'm sure many people would say that there is plenty of information out there about how to simplify your life, and I think that most of us would really like to do just that. But it's often much harder to put into practice than it is to dream about how calm and relaxed we would be. We know that constant stress is bad for us, but sometimes it seems like it's an unavoidable element of modern life.
There are certain aspects of our lives that we will have very little control over, like a domineering boss or co-worker, random stressful incidents injected into our day without warning, or a difficult family member. While we often cannot remove these sources of stress, we can mitigate their negative effects on us by not dwelling on them, but rather taking control over those things that we CAN change. There are so many little ways that we can retrain ourselves to "stop and smell the roses".
One of the easiest ways to start doing this is to watch how children approach their world. Before they get old enough for us stodgy adults to teach them to "grow up", they are naturally adept at just simply enjoying the world around them. They can derive pleasure from the simplest of things: a game of tag, the beauty of nature, the joy of holding hands with a friend, jumping over a puddle just to see if they can. Why do we forget how to do this? Why do we squelch these attitudes in our children as they get older? I think the biggest reason is that we have allowed ourselves to become far too busy to take the time to live in the moment with them.
Now, I'm not talking to the person who is working an 80 hour work week (I may address that later), but I'm addressing those people who work or go to school and then have so many extracurricular events on their calendars that they never allow themselves to just BE. We have gotten to the point where we feel like we have to be constantly busy, and we even feel guilty when we take a moment to slow down our pace, sit down and read a book, or enjoy a sunset. Having been a caregiver in various capacities (my own nuclear family and several elderly family members), I have slowly come to realize that this is one of the worst things we can do to ourselves.
If we truly want to give our best to care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. I'm not advocating that we become hedonistic, self-centered creatures, nor am I suggesting that we avoid ALL activities, but we really aren't capable of doing anything to the best of our abilities if we allow our physical, mental, and spiritual health to suffer by ignoring our own needs. Have I learned this lesson completely? Not even close. I'm one of those people who really doesn't feel a purpose unless I have someone who "needs" me, but I AM learning that I need to nurture myself first, so that I have something to give.
I would like this blog to be not a monologue, but a dialogue. I want to throw some ideas out there, and see what you all have to add. I'd like to share the things that have worked for me, and maybe even some of the things I've tried that haven't worked so well. I may occasionally rant or ramble, but I will try to keep that to a minimum, as that would kind of be getting away from the KISS principle. :D I am a relatively informal kind of person, which is perhaps why I'm drawn to the beauty of simplicity.
I'd like to discuss simple ways to:
I'll also tell you right off the bat, if you don't already know me, that I am a Christian. There will be posts related to the spiritual aspects of life, but I have no intention of proselytizing. Like I said, I want this to be a dialogue, not someone trying to stuff their beliefs down someone else's throat. And although I typically avoid political discussions like the plague, I may occasionally hit on a topic that has political elements. That being said, I welcome your comments, even if they contradict what I have said (on any topic, not just religion or politics), as long as they remain respectful. I think that we have forgotten the true meaning of tolerance, which includes respectfully disagreeing with someone, but I think that is for another post.
I encourage you to share how you have successfully managed to simplify your life, or even just bring up other areas that you struggle with. If you have any other sites or blogs that you've found helpful, feel free to share them here. If there's a topic you'd like to see me put out there for discussion, let me know!
But for now I'll leave you with this: try to find at least one thing today that really makes you smile, and when you hit that inevitable bump in the road, reflect on that thing.
There are certain aspects of our lives that we will have very little control over, like a domineering boss or co-worker, random stressful incidents injected into our day without warning, or a difficult family member. While we often cannot remove these sources of stress, we can mitigate their negative effects on us by not dwelling on them, but rather taking control over those things that we CAN change. There are so many little ways that we can retrain ourselves to "stop and smell the roses".
One of the easiest ways to start doing this is to watch how children approach their world. Before they get old enough for us stodgy adults to teach them to "grow up", they are naturally adept at just simply enjoying the world around them. They can derive pleasure from the simplest of things: a game of tag, the beauty of nature, the joy of holding hands with a friend, jumping over a puddle just to see if they can. Why do we forget how to do this? Why do we squelch these attitudes in our children as they get older? I think the biggest reason is that we have allowed ourselves to become far too busy to take the time to live in the moment with them.
Now, I'm not talking to the person who is working an 80 hour work week (I may address that later), but I'm addressing those people who work or go to school and then have so many extracurricular events on their calendars that they never allow themselves to just BE. We have gotten to the point where we feel like we have to be constantly busy, and we even feel guilty when we take a moment to slow down our pace, sit down and read a book, or enjoy a sunset. Having been a caregiver in various capacities (my own nuclear family and several elderly family members), I have slowly come to realize that this is one of the worst things we can do to ourselves.
If we truly want to give our best to care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. I'm not advocating that we become hedonistic, self-centered creatures, nor am I suggesting that we avoid ALL activities, but we really aren't capable of doing anything to the best of our abilities if we allow our physical, mental, and spiritual health to suffer by ignoring our own needs. Have I learned this lesson completely? Not even close. I'm one of those people who really doesn't feel a purpose unless I have someone who "needs" me, but I AM learning that I need to nurture myself first, so that I have something to give.
I would like this blog to be not a monologue, but a dialogue. I want to throw some ideas out there, and see what you all have to add. I'd like to share the things that have worked for me, and maybe even some of the things I've tried that haven't worked so well. I may occasionally rant or ramble, but I will try to keep that to a minimum, as that would kind of be getting away from the KISS principle. :D I am a relatively informal kind of person, which is perhaps why I'm drawn to the beauty of simplicity.
I'd like to discuss simple ways to:
- Nourish Your Body
- Enrich Your Mind
- Uplift Your Spirit
- Play Like a Child
- Save Money
- Nurture Relationships
I'll also tell you right off the bat, if you don't already know me, that I am a Christian. There will be posts related to the spiritual aspects of life, but I have no intention of proselytizing. Like I said, I want this to be a dialogue, not someone trying to stuff their beliefs down someone else's throat. And although I typically avoid political discussions like the plague, I may occasionally hit on a topic that has political elements. That being said, I welcome your comments, even if they contradict what I have said (on any topic, not just religion or politics), as long as they remain respectful. I think that we have forgotten the true meaning of tolerance, which includes respectfully disagreeing with someone, but I think that is for another post.
I encourage you to share how you have successfully managed to simplify your life, or even just bring up other areas that you struggle with. If you have any other sites or blogs that you've found helpful, feel free to share them here. If there's a topic you'd like to see me put out there for discussion, let me know!
But for now I'll leave you with this: try to find at least one thing today that really makes you smile, and when you hit that inevitable bump in the road, reflect on that thing.
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