One of the most significant parts of being on holiday and on retreat for me was the practice of taking a day just for me. What does that mean?
It means choosing what you want to do without having to take others into account, and without the pressure of all the ‘oughts’ we usually have on our lists.
There were days when all I did was stare into space for hours, just being with the beautiful countryside. Other days were quite active, setting off early in the morning and deciding to visit something along the way that looked interesting.
Can you imagine giving yourself permission to have a day just for you? It is a wonderfully refreshing thing to do, and gives you a level of energy that can make the following days much more productive.
Homework
- Identify a day in your diary when you could do whatever you wanted to
- Either decide in advance what you will do, and have fun planning it
- Or allow yourself to wake up on the day and decide according to your mood and the weather
- As you go through your day, pay attention to the simple pleasures of life, and to your own needs, so often suppressed. If necessary, change your plans in response to yourself.
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