Be good to yourself

“The first thing I do when I get home from work”, remarked Sally, “is to make a cup of tea, sit in my recliner, put up my feet, relax and let the tension drain out of my shoulders and face muscles.”

Sally has learned the importance of taking time to renew herself. Like the majority of us she is a walking, talking robot. Just wind us up and watch us run here, there and everywhere. Caffeine and other stimulants keep us going throughout the day.

However, unless we include ourselves in our priorities, office and home demands will deplete us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Whether you call it a “be good to myself” time or “pampering myself”, everyday we all need, yes I said need, to have time to let go of our anxieties and stresses. A time to look forward to doing something enjoyable for ourselves.

While Tom likes to purchase a newspaper and head for a half hour retreat at a local coffee shop, Melinda slips on her runners and goes for a brisk walk. Similarly, Jerry enjoys playing his guitar and Sarah finds pleasure as she works on her crafts.

Recent studies have shown that stress and anxiety are among the top ranking illnesses in our world. Furthermore, they can lead to serious illnesses such as heart attacks, depression, cancer and more.

Since we cannot worry and relax at the same time, anything we do to give our minds a rest is beneficial. Meditation, reading, dancing and whatever other leisure activity we choose will rest the ‘problem solving’ part of our brain. Thus, the three ‘happy messengers’ known as serotonin, noradrenalin and dopamine will be stimulated to give us a zest for living. While serotin lets us sleep peacefully, noradrenalin gives us energy to meet the days demands and dopamine will set our pleasure and pain levels.

Therefore, let’s meet the our daily chores with enthusiasm knowing that we have chiseled out a segment of the day just to pamper ourselves. 

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