Restless........

This is how I feel.

Ever get that?

Every 10 weeks or so, I take a week out. I retreat into myself. I sort of stop my world for a while and take stock of....well.....everything. I think it's terribly important to do so.

We wake up, day in and day out, and many of us just go into auto-pilot. We go to work, we deal with kids, we take on every role imaginable. We go to bed........we wake and do it all again. 

Why is it that when you are a child, your Summers are endless? Why is it, that as you get older, a whole year passes in a blink of an eye? Why is it that when you stop to think about your life, its day to day, its direction, you realise often you go down a path because it just follows on from the day before. 

There are some things I cannot change. The big things. Children and job dictate where I live. But, day to day, I need to stop and think what I can do to cure my restlessness. What I can change to make me feel calmer and more at peace with myself. Other things like, decorating, trying to make an effort with my garden. Making things fresher can all help.....

But, I find it's actually the small things that really help to make the difference. Returning to basics. I always seem to turn to this book. 

It's a Restless life saver for me. It reminds me, that when I stop and step away from the constant hectic pace of life, doing such small little things can have a huge impact on getting me back on track. Just taking a few minutes for myself. Paring back to the basics can have enormous effects on my well being. Reminding myself of the small pleasures, that cost nothing, but can have a huge impact on me. Setting the balance right again to make me feel able to carry on in my usual perky manner. I just need to be reminded of these things about every 10 weeks or so. For me, this book does it. It's not rocket science. I don't read the book from cover to cover. I dip in, often finding, just reading the heading on each page is enough to get me back on track.

I get so easily het up about not having time to reply to people. The daily onslaught of emails means I just cannot keep up. Many get buried or get re-directed into the junk box only to be found months later. It bothers me. It irritates me that I fail dismally. Other people can keep up to date. Why can't I? So, many humble apologies here if you have ever asked a question, and are still awaiting a reply. It's completely unintentional. My inbox has changed format too which means I don't know who is a no reply blogger anymore. I think from now on if you ask a question in my comments box, I shall try and reply beneath your comment. So please do check back if you do ask anything as at least that way I know I will have got a reply back to you. 

I have improved a little though day to day in 'real' life. I have remembered Victorian day, a fete and a fayre, two school coffee mornings, science day and open days. Pretty good going for me, considering, at one point, I would forget the lot.

Life still really is a juggling act. If I spend the day crafting, the house looks a mess. If I get even one day behind with the laundry, then all hell breaks loose in the house and it looks like a bombsite. It's never ending. I am always chasing my tail. It often makes me weary. So, to take a week out every so often to calm myself and remember what makes me happy and what is important in my life is surely a good thing, no?

I'm sure that i'm not the only one that feels like this from time to time. I wonder what you do to get yourselves back on track? Any suggestions would be welcome!

So, for now, I shall take a moment to sit and sip the froth on my cappuccino, smell the freshly cut grass and breathe deeply. I'm feeling better already...............

xxx