Rest

It has been a particularly busy few weeks. The up coming weeks are no less hectic. I'm finding myself feeling drained and battling a cold. The following is a piece I wrote for another place some time back. I find that it is a needed reminder, to myself, right now.

Life is busy. There is always something demanding our time and our attention. It is easy to feel like you are spinning your wheels, while the to do list just keeps getting bigger and bigger. If you are trying to live a frugal lifestyle, you will find many frugal activities require your time in exchange for their money saving benefits. More things to do! Don't despair. Rest. It will save you money, really.

I'm not talking about a good night's sleep, though that is very beneficial. I am referring to a day devoted to doing nothing. No deadlines. No to do list. No pressure. A day just for relaxing, and as we call it, piddling. Relaxing doesn't mean sitting or sleeping all day, though that is fine, if it is what you need. Relax by reading a book, taking a walk through the woods, or planting flowers. Those are the things that I find relaxing, but perhaps you craft, drink coffee with friends, or piddle on other projects. The point is you engage in activities you enjoy, and feel no pressure to complete. We need these days to replenish ourselves, both physically and mentally.

How does this save you money? In so many ways. When you are rested the world just looks better. You can think better. You can look at options, come up with ideas and plans, and have the ambition to try new things to solve problems. All of which will save you time and money in the long run.

When you are rested you are less likely to reach for the convenience foods at the grocery store, to run through the drive through, or take the family out for dinner. You'll have the energy to pack your lunch and make your dinner from scratch. You won't be needing all those super charged caffeine drinks or the high carbohydrate snacks that go with them, to keep you going either. Skipping the overpriced coffee shop saves you money.

Taking time to rest will also benefit your health, making your body more able to fight off the virus' waiting for the chance to make you sick. Potential savings there in medicine, doctors visits and time off work. Not to mention the mental drain of trying to function while you are sick.

We need a day to relax. Ideally, it should happen once a week, though that is not always possible in reality. For my family, days devoted to rest probably happen once every other week on average, depending on the season. If you haven't had a day to rest in a long while, schedule yourself one now. Yes, put it on your calendar, in big bold letters RELAX! You'll find it beneficial, mentally, physically and financially.

Resting and relaxing are not things that come easily to me. I like to keep busy, but constant activity takes its toll, especially during stressful times. For this week my goal is to get all the cleaning and preparations for next week done today and tomorrow. Sunday I will rest. I need a day of rest to prepare mentally and recharge physically for the up coming week. It is a frugal thing to do.

Frugal Fridays