photo by Brandon Pierce
After seeing this photo, sent to me by my dear husband, I can’t help but think of a quote from Liz Strauss aka (@lizstrauss) ::
“No matter the stress, the unkindness, the joy, the boredom, the hurry — one look at the sky and life again has perspective and meaning.”
It’s been a while since I last wrote.
We lost a very dear family member recently and since then, getting back into the same routine was NOT what would make me feel better. It’s hard to be helpful or chipper when all you feel like doing is pulling the covers over your head.
Grieving Offline In An Online World is not easy. I’ve been more vocal about this most recent loss because I feel we need to have a larger conversation about how we all deal with death in the digital age.
As a girlfriend told me over lunch one day . . . I needed a healing holiday. I had never thought about it, but she was right.
I needed a change, a break . . . time to heal.
Over the past few years, as a family, we’ve dealt with the very real sadness of illness and death. I’ve tried not to feel guilty for not writing blog posts regularly, keeping up my normal 4:30am until 6ish work days, being as active online or receiving or making social calls during this time of sorrow. My husband reassured me that taking time off to just be with family and convalescing was natural and I love him for that.
Grief makes you measure your life more carefully.
“We all want to do something to mitigate the pain of loss or to turn grief into something positive, to find a silver lining in the clouds. But I believe there is real value in just standing there, being still, being sad.”
― John Green
Regardless if you have had a loss, breakup, move, job loss, divorce or anything else that makes you measure your life more carefully, it’s important to take a ‘Healing Holiday’ and discover what you are most grateful for . . . I hope these 5 tips help.
- I made myself a promise to say thank you more often and in any way I can. Two simple words we don’t use enough.
- Say it with me >> No. << It’s okay to decline respectfully without explanation.
- Take some ‘tech free’ time off. Unplug. Turn your phone off. Go for a bike ride or a walk . . . whatever gives your mind time to rest from the constant bombardment of information we process on an average day.
- Let it out. Write it down, talk to a friend, scream in the woods if you have to. (be sure to wear a bright orange vest!) What ever you’re healing from, I came to realize that the WHOLE experience has the capability of transforming us in magnificent ways.
- Pamper yourself. I don’t care if it’s an afternoon, a day, a week, a month, or simply lunch alone with a new book. Give yourself permission to enjoy something that recharges you, no matter how small.
What tips would you offer someone embarking on their healing holiday?
