We live in a fast-paced world. That doesn’t mean we have to bow to the pressure to keep up.
A while back I wrote a post called Relax and Save a Cow. I would like to take that a step further and say:
Take a break and meet a cow!
Ok, I’m not saying that you need to meet a cow every time you take a break. Though I, personally, would find that quite therapeutic. When applied to the move, my point is simply to take a break.
This is coming from a habitual over-doer, mind you. Someone who begins a task with the intention of taking it easy and doing things gradually, and ends up looking at my watch and realizing that somewhere along the way I must have encountered a time warp. Oh, and that gnawing pain must be my stomach trying to exit my body to find a more reasonable host: one that remembers that fuel is essential to performance.
Have I suddenly reached enlightenment and realized that it is more clever to pace oneself? Sure! …well, that and maybe the ruptured disc, perhaps the torn meniscus… Nah! It was definitely a moment of enlightenment.
Whatever the cause, I have realized that those boxes are not going anywhere. Time, however, is. I now understand that I can get things done and enjoy my new surroundings after a move.
Sure, it may take a little longer to be completely unpacked and “settled.” And, there’s always the risk that the unpacking gets to that point where everything essential is unboxed and procrastination sets it. But, I have found taking time off during the back end of the move to be as essential as anything in any of the boxes. Not only can overdoing it in the unpack be detrimental physically (see: one torn disc), but you may just think of a better way to arrange your new surroundings if you give your mind a little rest.
So, I now make it a point to try to plan out some “forced” breaks while unpacking, sometimes to write or read, or even just be. What better opportunity than when our dog, Dante, aka my shadow, stares at me with those soulful hazel eyes and taps on the door? Heck, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a break and a walk to explore.
During one such walk we happened to meet his very first cow … then second … then third, and so on. And, we both returned home refreshed, relaxed, and ready to do some more unpacking.
Well, we both came back relaxed.
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