Being a business person myself, I can attest to the fact that business demands a lot from both our mental and physical capabilities. Pressure from our respective desks becomes heavier and heavier, while the working hours also get to be longer and longer. If we are not careful, we could: end up “working” without any passion or joy; become robotic; lose our effectiveness, and be irritable. In short, we could get to the level where, if we do not snap out of this situation, we will become passionless dead wood. And who needs that?
“The bow kept forever taut will break.” Zen Wisdom
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An Early Trip to the Grave
Here is my message: we need to relax and take it easy so that we can be re-energized. We should do this before the burnout itself. Put in other words, relaxation should not come about as a matter of recovery. But here’s a word of caution: what I have said now does not mean that you should relax without having done anything. There is a term for that and it is “idleness” otherwise known as “laziness”.
What we need to do is to create a good mix between exertion and relaxation. If you do not create time for relaxation, the spark of life in you will begin to flicker. High blood pressure, insomnia, ulcers, and other stress-related diseases will chip in. Thereby, mark you for an early trip to the grave.
“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” Anonymous
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I know what I am talking about. When I started my company, I used to run around like a headless chicken. At one time, I was engaged in preparations for an event that I would be hosting. Four days before the date of the event, I got to a point where I could not sleep for two nights in a row. I went to see my doctor with the hope that he will give me some sleeping tablets so that I will not have another sleepless night. I sat outside the surgery and waited for a turn with other patients. And, can you believe what I’m doing while I’m waiting? I was busy reading the material that I would use at the event. In other words, I was continuing to do what had caused my problems right within the doctor’s premises. When I got in, the doctor gauged my blood pressure and she could not believe what she saw. The readings were way off the acceptable limits. That is the very first time that I was diagnosed with high blood pressure!
Chasing Wealth at the Expense of Health
To avoid my route, take it easy. Relax. You know what? We all want to be wealthy (or if the word “wealth” freaks you out – then let me say “financially fit”). There is nothing wrong with being wealthy. Don’t be a part of the statistics that spent a bulk of their time chasing wealth and then later on using their wealth to chase health.
Relaxing or rejuvenating activities differ from one person to another and these are some activities that you could resort to:
- Having quality time with loved ones – family members, social or even intimate friends, and soul mates. I have just come back from a one-week vacation with four of my friends – we had a ball!
- Listening to soothing music or even the kind of music that you can dance to – jive it out! For me, Gospel music fires me up. By the way, I also love to participate in aerobics as that is usually done with an aura of good, loud, and refreshing music. I am not gifted when it comes doing the aerobics steps. When people turn left or right, I usually bump into them for having taken a wrong turn, but who cares? I love the beat of the music!
- Doing something that is different from your day-to-day routine. I once attended Bishop T.D. Jakes Mega Fest International. The attendees of this event shouted and jumped for joy as they praised and worshipped Having been raised in a Roman Catholic environment, I was initially freaked out by all these. But I eventually relaxed into the rhythm of what was happening. As the saying goes: when you are in Rome, do as the Romans do. Guess what? This not only soothed me emotionally and mentally, it injected a good boost into my spiritual growth!
“There was a very cautious man. Who never laughed or played. He never risked, he never tried; He never sang or prayed. And when he one day passed away, his insurance was denied since he never lived, then, he never died.” (Author not Known)
- Watching movies. For me, comedy is the key. It is the best medicine for stress – medicine without any negative side effects, that is. I have learned that some progressive hospitals have “humour rooms” where depressed or stressed up patients can go in to unwind and relax. Here’s the point: you do not have to get into that space, advanced as it is, for you to laugh your lungs out. There is so much humour floating around. All you need to do is to grab your kind of humour. Nowadays, we even have professional comedians!
- Writing – write poems, newspaper articles or even a book! Now, this is my forte. That is why you are reading this article, too. I love to write. I sometimes even take time-off from my routine duties to progress my writing. This recharges my mental batteries to the maximum. As it is, I have already published three books and I have a couple of manuscripts for the next books.
- Keeping a journal to record thoughts, experiences, goals, achievements, and ideas. It is worth mentioning that new ideas are born every day. But, they die so quickly because we do not nail them down to paper! Let me share this pearl of wisdom: the faintest ink is better than the finest memory!
- Doing something childish. Once a year, in my home city (Maseru), there are people that organize a back-to-school dinner dance. This is an event where the diners (old people) attend wearing school uniforms. People that have attended this event love it. Guess what? One day, I will get myself a uniform and go out there and do it, on the dance floor!
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“When we enjoy life, we enrich the lives of everyone around us. When we walk around looking like we finished off a case of lemons, we bring everyone around us down.”
Dr. Jim Muncy, One Door, Two Locks
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