“Few of us ever live in the present. We are forever anticipating what is to come or remembering what has gone.”
When we were kids, most of us remember looking forward to summer. Summer meant precious weeks off from school, a break in the routine, and time to spend with friends.
But when we reached the adult world, the seasonality of school gave way to a somewhat relentless grind. Even if we enjoyed our jobs, there wasn’t much in the way of a summer vacation heading our way. At best, we’d scrape out two weeks. Before we knew it, we’ be right back in the saddle, and usually facing a pile of tasks which had accumulated in our absence.
Time off is essential. We sometimes believe time off isn’t possible, simply because we have too many responsibilities. The truth is, taking time off is also one of our responsibilities. Time off gives us perspective on the size of our problems and can reframe what really matters.
Our perception of time accelerates when we do the same thing day in and day out. The brain, being notoriously lazy, will compress these similar days into indistinct memory. Taking time off changes the pattern of our days and helps us appreciate time passing. This also helps us form more meaningful memories.
There’s abundant evidence that our brains need more downtime than we give them. Use this week’s newsletter to remind you how and why to take care of yourself.
