With the build up to Christmas reaching frenetic levels, I realise I have, once again, left things to the last minute.
I always feel as though there is plenty of time and then suddenly, whoosh, it’s nearly Christmas and I have so much to get organised.
Fortunately, my wife does most of the shopping and arranging presents, also the children are getting older so can organise buying their own gifts for other people
I had some spare time last week, so I thought I’d maximise my time and get going…made sense.
So, with my bank card in hand, I went into town, thinking that it would be quiet, after all this was a week day and during working hours.
How wrong was I, it was packed!
You could hardly move because the Christmas market stalls had funnelled the human traffic down a narrow path, making it feel busier than it probably was. I bit the bullet and dived into shops to explore my opportunities and identify presents to purchase. I had made a big mistake by not creating a list – how daft was that?
Eventually I had brought a number of gifts and had my, recently purchased bags (I forgot them too) banging into everyone I passed. This was when I spotted the ‘German bar’ – time for a gluhwein I thought. Space to chill out and relax, watch other people rushing around and enjoy the sight of Christmas un-wrapping in front of me.
It was great! The ice rink was full of people having a fantastic time, the beach front was busy with people enjoying the walk along the promenade, even the mini golf was awash with laughter and shouts of despair! It was so, so cold, but no-one seemed to mind. They were too busy living life and enjoying their time off.
Life is like that at times. We can be so busy, with tasks and jobs, that we forget to have the ‘time out’ to enjoy life, or, actually experience the moment.
I hear many people talking about work / life balance and, for me, it means that these can be viewed as separate things and I believe everything is life and balance is the key!
It is important to balance things out.
Too much of a good thing can be as bad as not enough. Focussing on one area of life can have a detrimental affect on other parts of our lives. Too much socialising might impact my financial status, too much time in the gym may impact my relationships and too much time at work may impact my health.
However, sometimes, it is important to put all your effort into one area for a period of time, but it needs to be followed with the ability to ‘step out’ and recover, otherwise burnout can happen.
Too much shopping can negatively impact my mood, my bank account and become something I avoid all together – now that sounds like a plan! The gluhwein and chill out made it all bearable though.
We all deserve some R&R now and then, so I am embracing Christmas, and expect to experience the joys of Christmas with my friends and family, even more this year.
How do you rejuvenate, recover and re-energise?