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Here’s a simple Wednesday story from my never-ending notebook and my everlasting coloured pencil to ponder !
“A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, ‘How heavy is this glass of water?’ Answers called out ranged from four ounces up to twelve.
The lecturer replied, ‘The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.
“‘If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.’
He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden, if we feel we must.
“‘So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax. Pick them up later after you’ve rested.'”
— Author Unknown
I work with a lot of parents who often feel guilty if they take a break away from the kids – but I think it’s absolutely vital to replenish your energy and re-charge your batteries. You come back refreshed, invigorated and with a bounce and spring in your step ready for whatever life is going to offer you next.
Going for a coffee, reading your favourite magazine or watching a bit of footie on the telly is good for you as it changes your perspective and gives you some time out. Get creative and curious about what you’d enjoy doing for yourself.
So just for this week write down some things that would be fun for you to do and next go and write one or two down in your diary so you actually commit to giving yourself a break and a well deserved bit of “me time!”
Think of this as “patting yourself on the back” for a job well done and go and relax to celebrate !
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About the author
Sue Atkins is a Parenting Expert who offers practical guidance for bringing up happy, confident, well behaved children. She is also the author of “Raising Happy Children for Dummies” one in the famous black and yellow series published worldwide and the highly acclaimed Parenting Made Easy CDs. She regularly appears on BBC Breakfast and The Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 and her parenting articles are published all over the world.
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