Ain’t Nothing Like Some Good ‘Ole R&R…

Life is hectic.  We are constantly ripping and running.  Most of us work, and by the time we get home and have dinner, check in with our spouse or significant other (if you’re in this category, get the kids ready for bed (for those who have them), it’s time for us to “crawl” into bed ourselves.  We work hard, but often forget that we need some down time as well.  Our bodies and are minds are in sync screaming at us to “relax and unwind”, but our response is “no time” or “no finances”; therefore, we continue the same pace day in and day out.

Some of you are stressed to the max, and don’t feel like you can keep up with the pace too much longer.  You want out of the “rat race.”  The only time you get any type of rest is when you’re sleeping, and some of you don’t even rest well then because your minds are constantly churning.

It’s important for our mental and physical well being to unplug and unwind from time to time, and it’s not only okay to do so, it’s absolutely “imperative.”

Some people are fortunate enough to always take their vacations away while others take what we call “staycations”.  There are folks who take long weekends every now and again, which is a huge help.  No matter which option you choose, you need to “learn” to relax.  I know someone who worked constantly to take care of their family.  If there was overtime, they signed on for it.  They would work seven days a week without any sort of break.  Guess what?  It caught up with them.  Ultimately, they had a heart attack from the stress of it all.  Thank God, they recovered.  However, it taught them an extremely valuable lesson — you can’t work 24/7 and think your body won’t give out on you.

I was blessed this year to be able to take two vacations — one in Los Angeles the beginning of the year (to celebrate my son’s 21st birthday), and the other was a “staycation”.

My trip to L.A. was absolutely wonderful, but if I had it to do all over again, I would probably not do anything the day before we left.  I’m glad that I took off the day after we returned home because the “old” girl is not as “young” as she used to be.  LOL!  It was a great trip because I’ve always wanted to go out to Los Angeles, but never had the opportunity to do so.  I have to admit I was a little more than nervous because I hadn’t been on a plane since before 9/11; however, I’m grateful we made it there and back safely.

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My “staycation” was taken because my granddaughter’s daycare was closed for the week. However, it was absolutely most enjoyable and definitely much needed.  My granddaughter, one of my friends and myself went to the beach for the day; I honestly don’t know who was more excited about going — my granddaughter or myself.  She was deathly terrified of sand touching her feet prior to this outing, but said she was “going to be a big girl and wasn’t going to be afraid”.   Guess what, she wasn’t.  LOL!  I was able to get some cleaning and sorting of clothes done, and even got some much needed exercise in.  Woohoo!  My granddaughter and I worked on letters and sight words.  We went to the park, kicked her soccer ball around, and raced each other; she even got to play at the area in our local mall.  We ended the week with going to a Steampunk Festival where she had a great time and chatted it up with everyone she met (I guess she got this from me; one of my friends calls me “Chatty Kathy”, LOL!).  Then, Sunday came night :-(.  Although I was ready to face the week feeling refreshed and renewed, my granddaughter wanted more vacation time, and cried and cried until I told her it was going to be okay.  I assured her that I always returned to pick her up.  However, once she saw her friends, it was game on :-).

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I can’t wait for my next vacation.   Until then…

This is your life.  

“Learn” to enjoy it.  

Don’t ever be afraid to unplug; it really is okay.  

Always remember, #GurlYouGotItGoingOn

Love ya,

Grace

P.S.:  I now have a podcast that is featured on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts and a few others, which you may find under Grace Deveraux or “Take A Leap With Grace.”  Also, you may find me on Instagram @Gracedeveraux.  Please stop by and check out what I’ve been up to. 😊

Author: Grace Deveraux

I started this site for women, because as a woman, I understand the challenges that we face daily. Some of you are wives, some are significant others, some are mothers and/or grandmothers, running your own business, caretakers, etc. In other words, we have a lot going on. There are those of us who have been deemed "super women" or "super heroes" (boss babes), and we wear our "capes proudly," as we should. However, at the end of the day, we often neglect ourselves, thereby losing sight of the fact that we should practice self-care regularly (and no this is not selfish, but necessary). We have to "learn" to love ourselves enough to "stop," and take/make time to "smell the roses." Life is short...❤️ View all posts by Grace Deveraux