Hello everyone!! I hope summer has been kind to you, no sunburns, no family vacations that you will forever regret and those guests have returned from whence they came!
Brett and I have had an exciting summer to say the least. We purchased a Pop-up camper from a friend and have spent almost every waking moment prepping it for it’s maiden journey! We took it about 10 miles outside of town to a great KOA and practiced the ‘Camp Life’ for a weekend. There is still much to do, but overall, we are ready for life on the RV road!
I have recently found myself with an abundance of time! I’m talking organize your filing cabinet, go through your closet, read a book, and dust your blinds time! It’s really starting to freak me out! But it got me to thinking……what do I do now that I have nothing to do?
I’ve thought about things I want to do….that I’ve never had time for before, but there are so many, I don’t know where to start! So I began to write a list of those things I have on my project list (that don’t involve cleaning or house chores!).
#1 Prayer- I am often so busy during the work week that I do not make the time to talk to God. Last weekend at church, the priest told us about a man that was 98 years old that made it to church every day. I found myself envious of his relationship with God and the church. The first thing I put on my list of things to do with my extra time was daily Mass. It was a struggle to make sure that I kept the promise, ( I did miss daily mass yesterday on Saturday), but I was able to make Monday through Friday of this past week and it really helped my attitude.
#2 Go outside- I have so many amazing spots outside around my yard that I love to enjoy. Oftentimes, I am leaving for work, or getting home too late to fully enjoy them. My bench on the front porch, where I can watch the squirrels in the morning aggravating the neighborhood cats, my planted area in front of the porch that I enjoy weeding or watering or my raised garden bed with tomatoes, peppers and basil that I enjoy watering and searching for tiny sprouts of new veggies. These are all things that I miss out on when I don’t have ‘time’.
#3 Reading- I have loved to read since I was a child. It has always been something that has come easy and whether I am reading for fun, reading an article to learn about a new medical therapy or trying to better myself, I enjoy the time alone with a book (regular book or E-book, doesn’t really matter). I have found that combining #’s 1, 2 and 3 have given me the most pleasure this past week.
#4 Crafts- Now here is my Achilles heel. I LOVE to do crafts! I love to sew, crochet, paint, knit or color (yes I have some adult coloring books, but I still can color a cartoon pig with the best of them!). Usually when I get home from work, I am so mentally tired that learning a new craft is difficult. Then on the weekend, there is so much OUTDOORS to do!! Especially in Florida- cycling, beaches, yoga, paddleboard, theme parks (Disney of course) sporting events (Go Orlando City!!) and local community events and fairs! How is someone supposed to fit all that into a 48 hour weekend? I probably have been to a mall <20 times in the past 3 years Brett and I have lived here. There’s just no time to spend indoors, how am supposed to get a scarf knitted? Even in the Winter, the season is nice enough to continue cycling and other outdoor activities that may be too hot to do in the summer swelter!
#5 Trips- And this doesn’t necessarily mean Vacation. Just a day trip to Tampa, New Smyrna Beach, or any of the local springs. There are trips on trips on trips to take!! Then planning a Vacation is an event! Where to go? Do we visit family? How about going somewhere we haven’t been to before? New Orleans? Canada? Should we camp? Can we take the dogs? We haven’t even been on a cruise since we’ve lived < 1 hour from the coast! Boy how does one person fit all these things in one lifetime!?
This is just a small list of the things that I have recently found time for. I make sure to write these into my calendar to ensure that they are done. Habit.former makes a deck of cards to allow you to set good habits, slowly so that you will be successful. The card I chose from the deck today said on the front: make a to do list for the week. On the back: What you write down gets done. Start with a blank piece of paper and write your to do’s for he next seven days. Be sure the list is inclusive” work, family/home and don’t forget….you, personally!
I often tell my patients, ‘You can’t take care of others if you forget to take care of yourself”. Even 10 minutes of your day needs to be spent refilling your cup! Whatever it is that fills you up, even if it isn’t any of the things listed above, find your ‘thing’ and make sure you include it in your daily activities. You will be a better person for it. A better wife, mother, sister, friend, co-worker and overall a better human.
Go do that thing you would do, if there was nothing to do!
Tracy
Healing You 
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