When I turned my calendar to the month of March I saw an adorable sweet baby sloth. I love sloths not only because they have such sweet, sweet faces but also because they remind me of a very important concept near and dear
Although you have had to slow down quite a bit over the last year it’s always a good idea to be reminded of how important it is. Not only will you feel calmer, but your brain, and all your organ systems, will get the rest they so desperately need.
March is my birthday month!
The last time I actually went “out to dinner” was on my birthday last year. Although I didn’t think it would be my last time, I have fond memories of dining at my favorite restaurant on my neighborhood lake. I’m sure I’ll do it again soon… I hope.
I don’t really go out very much mostly because I want to protect my severely ill husband. Even though he’s had his first vaccination shot, I still want to be safe and, quite frankly, I don’t have a lot of need to go out. I take my daily 30 to 40 minutes walks in the beautiful sunshine. I get to go to my Indian spice shop every once in a while to buy some wonderful food, spices and herbs. And I am lucky to have a great team and group of volunteers to go shopping for us on a regular basis.
Over the years I’ve strongly come to believe that it absolutely “takes a village”. This has become my daily mantra. When everything seems to fall apart in your life reaching out for help is a necessity.
So back to the sloth – how can you live like a sloth with grace and wisdom? Learning lessons from the sloth is what todays’ article is all about.
Let’s call this the first edition of “Slothful Times”.
Six tips on how to live happily like a sloth:
- Take it easy. Saving your body and mind from relentless stimulation is necessary for good health. Figure out what helps you relax and do more of that. Feeling stressed all the time takes its toll. You can’t always avoid the stressors in life but you can add things to counterbalance them.
- Don’t fill up your days, your mind and your life just to fill them up. Take things off your calendar rather than adding things. Give yourself at least 2 hours a day for self-care. Did she say 2 hours? Yup, that’s what I said! Take a walk, have a talk or take a bath – these are small and simple remedies to help you feel grounded and have a sense of balance in your life.
- Appreciate your surroundings. I was busy at my computer this afternoon when I became distracted by a bird outside my window. This beautiful black bird called a Grackle would not stop its rather unusual song – it had so many tunes in its repertoire. I stopped what I was doing just to enjoy its melodic sounds. I even brought my cat to the window so she, too, could enjoy this opera as well. What a great way to let nature versus technology, guide you throughout your day.
- Take your time and slow down. Maybe a lot of these points sound repetitive, but they are slightly different. Slowing down helps you enjoy yourself more and enjoy those you are with. And you will even look cuter and more lovable doing so – guaranteed.
- Be at peace. Not having to frantically try to get things accomplished gives you a sense of calm and peace. Letting things fall as they may helps you stop endless doing and instead easily surrender to the rhythm and cycles of your day and your life.
- Appreciate your slothfulness. Being slow, sluggish and inactive don’t sound like admirable qualities but – hold on – don’t we all need a little bit of inactivity? In our culture we are obsessed by always doing. What’s really wrong with being a little lazy sometimes? How about joyful relaxing to help reduce your stress level? Sound good – yup it is!
Have fun in your Sloth – Full – Ness!
