August is National Wellness month, the perfect time to rest, relax and recharge.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the need for summer break and breaks in general, especially on sweltering and humid days. In the 1980s, when I went to elementary school in Munich, Germany, we would get “hitzefrei”, which could be translated as heat days (same as the snow days concept) when temperatures reached over 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 degrees Fahrenheit) by a certain time in the morning. This also made me reflect on how breaks were scheduled throughout the school day and year. As adults, when we’re the ones who need to give ourselves permission to rest, it’s too easy to forget to take breaks or schedule time off. Isn’t it?
Maybe the National Wellness Month inspires you, too, to think about rest, breaks, self-care, what it means for you and how you can integrate it to daily life.
Self-care is not selfish… it’s a necessity and an insurance policy. I believe that self-care is one way to take our power back, manage stress and navigate through life’s challenges… it’s not just about pampering yourself. It’s about putting yourself, your needs, essential responsibilities, and priorities first.
There are many ways to look at self-care… and to take care of yourself to support your
- Physical well-being
- Emotional well-being
- Social well-being
- Spiritual well-being
- Financial well-being
- Occupational well-being
- Intellectual wellbeing
- Environmental well-being
“…self-care is immensely powerful in its own right. The elicitation of the Relaxation Response, stress management, regular exercise, good nutrition, and the power of belief all have a tremendous role to play in our healing.”
- The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson, M.D., p. xii
May you experience PAUSE, REST & CALM – today and every day.
About Andrea Deierlein & Thrive Reiki, LLC: Andrea's work specializes in helping people transform the pain of life challenges and daily adversity through the practice of Reiki. She helps people struggling with stress, anxiety and overwhelm, to relax, calm down and breathe again. Focusing on stress management and the mind-body-connection, her clients shift out of survival mode, build focus and resilience. Connect with her on www.thrivereiki.com or follow her on Instagram @andreadeierlein
