A Forced Vacation

Two weeks ago, my eyes, neck and shoulders gave up on me. I had dizzy spells and trouble focusing and then a major anxiety attack, which has never, ever happened. It was a very strong message from my body to take a break, and the doctors encouraged me to listen.
This meant that I had to stop working on the computer, no more late night television, no reading books and no surfing the ipad or working on my blog. No type A behaviour allowed either. My doctor even insisted I avoid looking at my Blackberry but with that I was unable to comply. I assumed that my two weeks were going to be hard without books or television, and steeled myself for the sacrifice I was making in the interest of my health.
Funnily enough, it was a most relaxing time. Mildly dull, sure, but most definitely relaxing. I heard all genres and all eras of music, listened to my favourite podcasts and discovered some new ones, slept, had massages, and got thoroughly pampered by my husband and family. All I was doing was finding news ways to relax my eyes, shoulders, back and also my mind.
My little vacation made me think about what I was subjecting my body to through my thoughts and actions. I took myself for granted, refused to look at things closely, until my body forced me to rexamine my life. It may seem dramatic, but it really was. I was taught to look at stress and energy in a whole other light by my aunt, who always helps me put perspective on things. She made me realize the value of regularly decluttering the mind no matter how positive our mental make-up is ('It's like eating a gorgeous meal, you still need to clean the plates after, right? A great meal doesn't mean the plates won't get dirty. It's the same thing with your energy system and your mind. You need to focus on all your thoughts in order to release them and not suppress anything.') and taking time out for oneself, which I obviously wasn't doing.
My reason for writing this whole saga is only to spread that message further: to tell you to look after yourself. Be mindful of your thoughts and give yourself time to relax. That doesn't necessarily mean going to a spa or for a vacation, but just taking the time to be alone with your thoughts and giving your body a chance to tell you what it's thinking. No judgement, just listening. It's so important, and so needed in our frenetic world. Down time. Make it happen.