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Struggling to Relax

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Struggling to Relax

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

My grand plans for summer are drifting away due to busier and more tiresome summer activities.

When scheduling a morning activity, I often fail to consider the time needed to rest and recover from being in the sun.

For some reason, I think I can function at the same speed all day long.

This is not the case.

The result is a disappointment in having that to-do list take a back seat. Sometimes I feel that my to-do list rules me rather than being a tool to using time wisely.

Around our house, we needed a break and time to relax. We took this time on Monday where the girls and I watched the movie Enchanted about 4 times. (Mr. 9 watched for awhile, but he’s not into princess movies. 🙂 ) We played and watched and chilled out.

It was so nice to just put everything on hold. I tend to feel guilty for just sitting around, but I’m learning that life is more than just doing. I definitely have the doing part down, but I need to learn the living part.

When I’m with friends, I have no problem relaxing and enjoying my time with them. However, when I’m home, I cannot get in the same mindset. Surrounded by laundry, vacuuming, a sink full of dishes, coupons to cut, curriculum to review, etc., I have not been able to put on blinders and just play.

I’m struggling to relax at home. It sounds crazy that this place where I spend so much time cooking, cleaning, decorating, creating, writing, etc. can be the hardest place to relax.

For me, I play with my kids more when we are out of the house than in the house. Though I enjoy interacting with them, I really miss out on their activities at home because I’m too busy doing those million items on my never-ending to-do list.

While on this journey to using time wisely, I am learning to delegate more, ask for help, and let things go to intentionally play and invest in the lives of my family. This undertaking is not easy. I get distracted by good things frequently, but going back and starting over is making this summer more enjoyable as we play together.

If you are on this same journey of struggling to relax, take heart. Continuous little steps result in great strides. Happy learning!

Question: How are you navigating your summer routine?

The Art of Taking a Secondary Role

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Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

When you attend an event as an invitee, can you relax and just enjoy the event? I struggle – big time – just sitting and relaxing!

Recently, my son’s Sunday school teacher graciously planned a party for the first grade students and their families.

His teacher planned time for play, games, food, and entertainment. The party was well planned, but I still struggled with relaxing.

Struggle Arises

For me the hardest part was relaxing during the meal. After gathering food for my children and me, we ate. I then began perusing the room identifying trash can locations, mapping a direct route from the food to the kitchen, and checking to see how far along the guests were to finishing. My husband watching my movements, whispered, “You don’t have to worry about cleanup.”

How nice to have someone, who understands me, snap me back to reality. It was at that moment that I realized that the event planner in me was at work. I rarely attend an event where I am not coordinating or assisting. In these times of attendance, I really struggle to relax.

Evaluating Myself

My personality is to organize while using time wisely. I do not try to be organized; God created me organized. It’s who I am. I cannot refrain from organizing and planning, so I need to learn to take a secondary role.

Changing my Focus

When the event is not within my leadership, I am still trying to solve their problems and plan the next activity. At this event, I chose to go down to the gymnasium to watch the kids play while other adults stayed to help cleanup. Though choosing cleanup would have been easier for me, I needed to practice taking a secondary role and relaxing.

Though I need more practice, the art of taking a secondary role is a learned skilled. As I continue to practice, I hope to find attending events more enjoyable and relaxing. In the meantime, I am thankful for those, who know me, jarring me back to reality when I get distracted. Happy relaxing!

Question: When you attend an event, do you struggle to relax?