The magic of a slow life
Leaning out can help you jump back in.
There is grace in knowing when NOT to do something.
I know everyone feels this way, BUT: Is it really December already?! I feel like this year needs three extra months just so that I can try and get my affairs in order!
How to talk yourself into a “staycation”
Storytime: I do not like people. There is a reason why I chose a career that allows me to work in complete solitude, only interacting with colleagues electronically. I do not appreciate crowds, and I would rather eat glass than be in a Shopping centre on pay day. For me, “Black Friday” is the darkest day of the year.
This personality type has allowed me to embrace the concept of “leaning out”. Don’t get involved in things that tax your energy, don’t take on rolls you are not ready for, don’t let yourself be manipulated.
Recently (Ok – since last year when I had a disastrous festive season with unhappy children and unfulfilled hopes) I have started applying this concept to vacations as well.
That is why, this year, I am going nowhere! (Ok fine – Not NOWHERE, but at least, I won’t be jumping on the highway with a car full of grumpy kids, just to rush to an overcrowded beach and end up coming home just before school starts with empty pockets and sunstroke.)
Summer Staycation –I have talked myself (and my kids) into it!
How did I do this? Well, bad coffee, a tired shouty mom, sticky hands and crowded Shell Ultra City bathrooms were mentioned. As was sunscreen in your eyes, chafing, sand in your shoes and dropped ice creams.
My privileged 7-year-old did try to tell me we could fly down to the coast, skipping the bad coffee and crowded rest stops, but the moment I explained exactly how much Harry Potter Lego he could get for the price of our plane tickets, he promptly told me he loves our house and can’t wait to stay home. And build the Lego he thinks he is getting.
Take a moment to look around your house.
I spend my whole year writing about ways to make your home your haven. There were hours and hours of finding the perfect deals on furniture, lighting, spa bathrooms, entertainment zones… Articles ranged from planting moon gardens and meeting your neighbours and attracting wildlife to your garden…And then I chose to pack up and head into the madness of December crowds, leaving my awesome home to fend for itself.
So no: This year we are leaning out.
We are staying home. Saving money and drinking our own coffee. For the first time this year, our mornings will be spent snoozing in our own beds, before we slide into the pool or crack open a new book. No lunchboxes, or beach bags will be packed into car boots. Tiny single plate stove in a self-catering cabins will not be part of my frustration to feed my family because the restaurants are crowded. My laundry will be washed in my own machine and I will sleep on my own pillow. We will enjoy the colours of our walls, the new growth in the garden that comes with the summer rain. I will spend some of my holiday money on treats like good bubbly and extra thick lamb chops. I will buy poinsettias for my home and set up a Christmas tree.
So, let’s say “no thank you” to the rush. And welcome the rest.
Stop. Breathe. Live.
Come January, my pockets and my heart will be full, because the truth is: Next year will be over just as quickly as 2024 and I like the idea of slowing down for a minute before the clock strikes 12 on December 31st and we enter the second quarter of the 21st century.
