Lately, I have found myself in a place that I have not been in a very long time and I am not sure how to take it all in.
In this place, I am more consistently prioritizing myself and my needs. In this place, I am not obsessing over every detail and I am resisting my perfectionistic tendencies. In this beautiful, peaceful place, I am finding myself able to say no to the things that don’t bring me joy and intentionally inviting in the things that do. Here, I find that the world will continue to revolve, even if I am not there to spin it and the foundations of a place will not crumble if I am not there to hold it up.
So, what is this euphoric place, you ask? I call it my stress-free land. The entrance isn’t hidden. There is no magic potion or highly demanding quest needed to find this place.
All I did to get here was unplug. I know, I know. Unplug is almost blasphemy in our current society, with everything from working to even playing online. Leaving my laptop at the office, disabling every app and buzzer, notification and general nuisance from my devices for five days changed my life. In that time of disconnectedness, I found myself able to reconnect with me!
I read books. I listened to music. I drew pictures, exercised, went on walks and cooked phenomenal meals. I certainly do not expect every person reading this to have the ability or desire to disconnect for five days from everything and everyone contributing to the stress. But it truly helped me.
I challenge each of you reading this blog to make a concerted effort at least once a week to disconnect for an hour. For my fellow overachievers, make it at least one full day a month. I suspect you will learn that you needed the break and gain freedom and a perspective that might just change your life.
Ashleigh R. Dennis-Silas, LPC, CPCS, is the Clinical Director of CHRIS Counseling Center Gwinnett. You may reach her at Ashleigh.Silas@chris180.org.
