Rest to Live

I recently came back from leave and I am glowing. Yes, I know it and with compliments from colleagues and family, I just know it was a good decision I took to take a break. You see, Nigerians generally (middle and lower classes) do not like to go on leave or vacation like our counterparts in western climes. I think this is just inbuilt in us as a people to work from sun up to sun down, 365 days of the year if possible. Nigerians particularly are some of the most hard-working people I have seen. But does all hard work translate to smart results?

Taking a cue from our western friends, they generally would plan for their leave or vacation right from the beginning of the year. In fact, annual leave means vacation out of state/country to rest and explore other places on this sweet earth. Back home, what do we have? I even hear that some employers go to the extent of appealing to their  to take a leave. For me, I think those kind of organisations must be very juicy for you not to move an itch.

What is my point in all of this? REST! Rest is good for the body and mind. Sometimes you just have to consciously move away from your very busy, rollercoaster schedule and rejuvenate your soul and body. A few things I learnt on my recent leave that I will love to share with you and on reflection, I discovered I wouldn’t trade those feelings for anything else in this world.

1.     Super Family time: I have got such sweet and hyper toddlers, and nothing beats the feeling of preparing them for school, drop off and pickup. They are always super excited when they see the least expected person show up at the school gate for pick up-MUMMY! During the drive home, we are all chitty chatty, singing new nursery rhymes. Oh how i love this experience and the bonding it brings.

2.     Finding time for other interests: We all have different interests but never finding the right time to pursue them. Finding time to do that one thing you loved to do can be challenging especially if you have a demanding job. And for women, we are forever working. After your 9-5 job, you close and start/continue work at home as a mother, wife and home keeper. It can be tiring really. Your leave affords you that super time to pursue other interests. Mine are creative writing (blogging) and research for academic work. Having the time to sit without distraction and pour out my heart through writing is a big deal for me. Another is cooking, just thinking and surfing the internet for recipes makes me wanna try out things in my kitchen. What is that one thing you love to do?

3.     Having that Me-time: Have you ever sat/laid down just listening to Music like some soul-lifting music? The feeling is heavenly and rejuvenating. After dropping off the kids at school, showered (with some sweet-smelling bath and body products), my me-time starts generally with that session. This affords me time to meditate on myself, declutter my mind and think of the next big idea on improving things. I try to stay away from social media during this time. This means a lot to me.  

4.     To the Movies Oh Ruthie: There are days I sometimes fantasize about going to see a movie like on a Monday morning. Lolz! Who does that? Well, I pray we all get to that point when we become bosses and your money is working for you whether you are physically in the office or not. I was able to catch a movie in the morning on a weekday during my leave and that fantasy was achieved. Sitting in the cinema room watching a movie and laughing at a scene is what I haven’t done in a looooong time.

6. Health is Wealth: My leave time also made me try to work on a healthier lifestyle. So i got this amazing silicone water bottle and got some lemons. To kick-start my system for the day, i first take a big drink of lemon water first thing in the morning. For me to achieve this required a conscious effort to make it a daily routine. I could see the effects immediately as i noticed a slight reduction in my weight within a week of consumption. So for all those weight-loss buffs, i totally recommend lemon water.  Its simple. Cut the lemon into rings or diced, put in a bottle and pour in drinking water. A feel-good factor comes when this is chilled. Whatever works for you but having a leave period allows you stick with a health routine-at least for me.  Now, that i am back to work, am i still taking my L-Water? Yes!

5.     Bonding with friends and family: there is absolutely nothing that takes the place of family and friends in your life. Calling, chatting and visiting those you can, helped me in reconnecting with humanity. At the end, these are the people that matter to you. So, stick with them. Making out time to check on your peeps during work is fine.

Finally, we all need to live effectively and enjoy this God-given treasure we call LIFE. Is that why we say: ' LIFE NO GET DUPLICATE?' The only way that can be achieved effectively is stepping back to rest and rejuvenate yourself. When you come back to work, you look fresher, more productive and ready to take on the world. My next leave should go a step further by the grace of God. When is your next leave and how are you planning to use it? 

+Love💖

Ruthie