Take an R-Day

When was the last time you scheduled a day just for you? How often do you honor yourself by doing what truly gives you bliss?

I dare say most of us do a pretty lousy job in this arena. We put off personal celebration, telling ourselves that we’ll take some time off when “we’re done.” The challenge is that we’re never done: emails continue to flow, phones continue to ring, and there’s a never-ending demand to complete a task and move on to the next. And the celebration is postponed indefinitely, or so it seems…

But celebrating is critical for personal fulfillment, which is why Rejuvenation Days, or R-Days, are so important. An R-Day is a day or block of time (R-Time) consciously set aside for nurturing your body, mind and spirit. These brief periods of joyful, spiritual nourishment transform your life perspective.

On our Impossible Journeys, we often overextend ourselves, depleting our physical and mental reserves, eventually leading to varying levels of burn out. R-Time miraculously cultivates greater levels of energy and enjoyment for even the most mundane undertakings.

Taking R-Days will unleash your passions by reconnecting with a remote part of yourself—an area buried by years of responsibilities and self-sacrifices. Even if you are intensely enthusiastic about what you do professionally, scheduled time away from work only adds to your drive. Sometimes the best way to stay on track is to periodically diverge from the trail.

We limit R-Time by telling ourselves that we haven’t earned it and/or are not worthy. Yet rejoicing in special moments at scheduled and arbitrary points during the day can give us a higher degree of self-worth. Taking R-Time is a decision to play, void of any work- or home-related concerns. In this sacred space, magical healing occurs through recovery and renewal. What could daily celebrations add to your life?

For those still chanting the mantra of “I don’t have time”—yes, you do. Sometimes demanding schedules prohibit an entire day or afternoon for energizing the soul, but you can always take an R-Hour. Pulling yourself away from work and engaging in an hour of play can sometimes be sufficient. You can’t afford not to take R-Days. In many ways, this cherished time becomes the lifeblood of your passion. Also, there’s a working theory that says the more R-Time you take, the more productive and fulfilled you become. (Care to put this theory to the test?)

My R-Days usually lead me on a hike through the woods, a writing adventure in a café or an exploratory journey through someone else’s words. (Or playing with Yoda, of course.)

Where will your R-Days take you?

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey