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It’s my favorite day of the year. The ‘Day After Thanksgiving.’ No obligations, no commitments. Family all together. No travel required. Leftovers in the fridge. Friends in town. An opportunity for impromptu get togethers. A few football games televised throughout the day. But none that are ‘must watch’ contests. A good day to go out for a run – probably in the morning. Do a little Christmas shopping. Maybe. All in all, just a great day to relax, have fun – and accomplish very little.
Or, maybe by doing all these things, we are actually accomplishing an awful lot? Having some time to ‘recharge’ is important. Same is true about spending quality time with family and friends. Being spontaneous. Letting the day take you – where the day takes you. You may not want to do this every day, but one day a year? I say, ‘go for it!’
After the festivities yesterday, a day filled with lots of activities and family, friends, and food, it’s the one day of the year when you can truly take a moment for yourself, sometimes to simply do nothing at all, or at least very little. It may sound funny, but with all our responsibilities during the course of the year and with all the hustle and bustle of the impending holiday season, rarely do we get a moment to ourselves like we do today.
These days, it’s easy to get swept up with the pace of modern life. So much is thrown in our direction there’s often the feeling that we always need to be on the move. If you’re caught up in taking care of all of your responsibilities or even things that may not deserve your time— rather than taking care of yourself — you may find it difficult to take a day like today to slow down. Taking time to simply be and relax is actually incredibly important for our well-being. If you are a parent, a student, an employee, a caretaker, someone struggling with a mental health concern, or are just feeling overwhelmed with the responsibilities of day-to-day life, the idea of taking time for yourself may sometimes seem unimaginable. But on a day like today where our responsibilities are generally limited, it’s as simple as pausing and taking some slow, deep breaths, focusing on each of your senses, and trying to be fully present in whatever it is you choose to do!
The average American only spends about 15 minutes a day, or barely one percent of a total year taking time for ourselves. I’ve found that the more I take time for myself on a day like today, the better I and less stress I feel even weeks later, reminding me how important it is to take a slow day more often at other points of the year. As an avid runner, I liken it to reminding myself that I don’t need to run at someone else’s pace, but the pace that’s most comfortable and will work best for me. Taking time for ourselves is a powerful tool to being the best version of ourselves that we can be. So, if you have the opportunity today, and even this weekend, take a deep breath and enjoy the downtime!
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