A Day Off

Ferris Bueller had the right idea: there's nothing like a day off.

A regular day of rest or Sabbath (the term "Sabbath" is derived from the Hebrew word for "to rest") is an almost universal observance. I say "almost" because for some people it's hard to stop long enough to take a day off, let alone to be able to relax and enjoy it. People like me.

The concept of taking time off has long been elusive to me. As a kid, I would pack up a tiny suitcase full of books and crafts to bring along wherever I went -- even the beach. All through school I studied for as many hours as I could stay awake. I've been making daily to-do lists for decades now, with a complex system of checks and arrows to move what did not get done to the next day or the day after that. All of this makes resting a little overwhelming. Somehow, it seems I wasn't programmed for "down time."

Yesterday, I took a full day off -- from work, from writing, from projects, from chores… I even got take-out for lunch and dinner. My entire to-do list went untouched (and unread) for 24 hours.

It was awesome!

I can hardly begin to explain how odd it felt to not have anything on my plate. (And with the take-out meals, I didn't even have a plate to worry about.) There was no place I had to be, no schedule to keep. I realize that most people reading this will think, "Yes, that's called a weekend." For some of us, though, weekends are extra days to catch up on to-do lists, to get ahead of the game for the coming week, and to relieve a bit of our sleep deficit.

Now that I've given taking a day off a try, I can highly recommend it. If, like me, you are one of the people who have not made a habit of taking a break from it all, definitely give it a try. The world will keep spinning, the laundry can wait, and the emails will be there in another day.

And somehow, it will all seem less urgent and more manageable.

Until next time,

Conna