Make Refreshing Pauses

Sometimes it's not possible to take as many vacations ornbreaks as you'd like. You know it helps to "get away" andnincorporate some peace and quiet into your life, but it'snoften difficult to take as much time as you need. One waynto work and live with less stress is to make deliberate usenof small periods of time to create your own littlen"decompression chamber."nnSet Aside Time to be YourselfnnSee where you can find numerous opportunities for smalln"hidden" breaks. Even at work or while accomplishing anspecific task, you can often slow yourself down, look up,ntake a deep breath, enjoy your sip of coffee or tea, drinkna glass of water, or even just refocus your eyes onnsomething else in your environment. Allow yourself to thinknof something pleasant: a happy memory, an imagined scene, antiny daydream, an amusing thought.nnArrive EarlynnYou know what it feels like to arrive at an appointmentnrushed and out of breath and not quite ready to deal withnyour intended purpose. Unpack your schedule just a littlenin order to allow extra time for unexpected obstacles. Anfew silent moments to yourself can give you a lift and helpnyou remember your intention before you begin your mission.nYou may spend those minutes on a bench, in your car, in anpublic rest room, or at the doorway of your destination.nArriving early allows you to be your most calm and focusednself.nnTake Time to be GratefulnnDuring these small pauses, try making a habit ofnremembering the people and large and small things in yournlife that deserve your appreciation and gratitude. Think ofnwhat others have done for you, and the blessings in yournlife. If you have clean air to breathe, the ability to slownyourself down for a moment, clean water to drink, and annoccasional view of the sky, you have more than much of thenworld's population. Let your heart be filled withnthankfulness, even for the workers who make your clothing,nfor the farmers who produce the food you eat, for the far-naway dock workers who unload your tea and coffee from thenship. All this is for you.nnUse Cues to Remind YourselfnnThink of actions you take every day: Eating a meal, puttingna key in a lock, walking through a doorway, looking at anwatch or a clock, taking a shower. All these can becomenautomatic reminders to help you to remember to take anmoment to center yourself, see a "larger picture," and bencalm and grateful for the small, unseen, every-day miraclesnthat surround you.nnSuch pauses can make your day brighter, more meaningful,nand less stressful. Use the time for the renewal of yourninner self, and you may find yourself less pressured andnmore refreshed than ever before.n