In life, especially life in the 21st century, the pace is frantic.  You are bombarded with opportunities for being active: information, entertainment, work, busy-ness.  The result of this activity is mental exhaustion.  For those in caring professions this stress can lead to feelings of burnout and is a painful existence.

Beginning today, let’s take time for ourselves.  This is the answer to the fast pace of life.  One way to look at this experience is to use the word margin.   On a written page a margin is the blank space around the outside edge.  The words are written in the middle.  Have you ever seen a page that was filled with words from edge to edge?  Probably not because such a page is very difficult to read.  There is no space for your eye to slow down and absorb the information.  The page is too busy.

Life can become that way.  We also need margin, or we will be hard to understand. Consider your day today.  What can you eliminate from your life today that will allow you to have some time for yourself?  What can be left undone in order to prioritize self-care?  Would an hour help you feel more relaxed?  Maybe 15 minutes?

Consider the prospect of taking time for yourself today.  Make a decision to eliminate one task from your day and devote the time to self-care.

In tomorrow’s post I’ll discuss what can be done with the self-care time.