Phew. Last week came to a welcomed end. At 3pm on Friday, I laid down for a nap. 7.5 hours later, clinching the title of world champion napper, I woke up. Oh my! My mind knew I had had a stressful week, I guess my body did, too.
On my way to an email marketing seminar and a day of clinicals at the hospital on Wednesday, I had a little "moment" talking to my sister. I realized just how much worry I had borrowed:
Tuesday morning. Truck stuck in mud on way to clinicals. Call AAA and 2 hours late. Borrow a little worry - check.
Tuesday evening. Husband. News of another torn rotator cuff, argh - the same shoulder that had surgery 16 months ago. Another surgery? Job uncertainty? Borrow lots of worry and some sadness - check.
94 year-old Granddad, 90% heart blockage, headed to Europe for his 3rd cruise in 2 years. Go Granddad, go heart. Granddaddy, please be safe. Borrow adequate amount of worry with a little hope - check.
Sister. Her husband deployed to Iraq for a year. Borrow decent amount of worry - check.
Nursing Care Plan to write and implement - 20-hour project. Must get enough data in short time allotted while caring for patients. Borrow just the right amount of worry - check.
First test of the semester. Those who have gone before us encourage us to set our expectations at failure. Studied beaucoup hours, 40 pages of handwritten notes. Borrow way more worry than my fair share - check.
Weight of all the worry. Not enough downtime. Rush, rush, rush all week. Still rushing. Can't afford tears at the moment. Must hold it together. I'll take a minor meltdown for $400, Alex. Cry a little, pray a little, love a little upon my sissy, who's going through enough stress of her own. Check.
I get to the seminar about 45 minutes early. I am hoping to study. Too tired. Too drained. Must muster up my networking savvy. I ask myself, "What's the best use of this time?" "Studying? No." In the hotel lobby, when I see those little packets of calm, I know instantly. A cup of tea, a moment of silence and, "Voila!" - peace came.
The cup of tea was this lovely blend of mint and tarragon leaves. It's name was rejuvenation. It was made just for me and my borrowed worry moment. I sat down in a big comfy chair. The cup warming my hands. The steam invading my soul. Ahhh....
It only takes 5 minutes and the benefits are numerous. Sipping tea slows you down. The tea itself can have calming effects. There are even health benefits - the research proves it.
So, I dare you. The next time you are borrowing more than your share of worry, grab your favorite mug and sit down to a cup of tea.
Relaxed,
Cindy
