Sometimes, I find, that my body, mind and soul need to be un-plugged and there are so many ways we can do this. Here are a few ideas I use:

1. Go for a walk in the neighbourhood. I use the app “Map My Walk” to track where and how far I have gone. This helps to push me to go a little further and somewhere different every time. The fresh air and movement do amazing things for my body, mind and soul.
2. Don’t rush lunch (if you can). I try to take the time to make something healthy and use a pretty napkin and stemware for my water. This was recommended to me by a nurse when I was going through post partum depression and wasn’t taking the time to eat properly. It helped to take the time and effort to make my lunch special.
3. Drink lemon water. It is so refreshing and helps digestion and less bloating throughout the day. It’s also said to be really good for your skin.
4. Declutter your digital life. Erase apps you don’t use, unsubscribe from emails you don’t want to receive, ‘unfollow’ or remove accounts that cause you anxiety. It’s amazing what this has done for my mental health…especially in these times we are living in.
5. Try positive affirmations. It feels silly at first, but it is so incredibly helpful. Think about what you struggle with and turn them into positive affirmations. Some I use are: I am enough. I am safe and secure. I am courageous and I stand up for myself. God, I give everyone and everything to You.
6. Focus on One Thing at a Time. There is so much coming at us from every direction that life can get overwhelming. I often say to myself: Just do the next thing. Progress comes from just doing the next right thing.
7. Freshen up a Space. It’s amazing what just neatening up a space in your home can do. Move around some decor. Buy $4 dollar tulips at the grocery store. It doesn’t have to be a big project. A simple freshening up of a space is so motivating for me.
8. Go somewhere new. It doesn’t have to be far. It could be a new coffee shop. It could be a new trail you’ve been wanting to try out. Take a different route to work. Explore a town that you don’t live in. Go to a tourist attraction in your own province or state.

It’s amazing what these little things can do for your body, mind and soul. A couple of weeks ago, Jason had the week off, Olivia was on Spring Break and we were tired of the renovation scene in our lives. We were tired of the heaviness of living during a pandemic. We were tired of the issues in our lives weighing us down. We just wanted to ‘get away’ for a bit.

For some people this is an easy thing to do…just take off and stay at a hotel for the weekend or fly to a different destination for a bit. For us, this is a little tricky financially for us, with all the projects we have going on, but we knew we needed to do something.

I remembered that we have AirMiles. Normally we use these to fly somewhere, but that isn’t possible right now, so I looked at destinations in our own province. Jasper National Park is just a few hours south of us and to leave the prairies and go to the mountains for a weekend sounded like just what we needed. We chose a hotel with a pool and hot breakfast included and the cash out of our pockets for the hotel stay, was taxes. A total of $34.99 for the weekend including two meals and entertainment (the pool and jacuzzi tub in our 2 room suite). Yes, there was the fuel and other meals we had to pay for, but we brought our own food for lunches and were able to support local small business restaurants for our supper meals. It was quite economical and just what we needed.

So, if you’re in a place where you have done all the things to help rejuvenate, perhaps there is a way for you to have a change of scenery. Sometimes we just have to get creative to make it work.

Seneca, a Roman philosopher and advisor to the emperor Nero, once said:

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind”