JUST CHILL

By Eliana Barriga
Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer

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Eliana Barriga

You may have heard this said before, “Those who say they don’t have time for relaxation are the ones who need it the most.”

I whole-heartedly agree! Summer is the perfect time of the year to relax before the busy-ness of fall is upon us. I think an alarm should go off in our heads when we start feeling like it is too much of a hassle to plan our next vacation, take a day off or carve out a few hours during the week to just chill.

And when you take time off, really relax and use your downtime wisely. That means, stop thinking or worrying about the business, checking emails or doing “just a few” hours of work before allowing yourself to enjoy the day. Instead, unplug, breath and just chill.

Study after study has shown that workaholics are slowly killing themselves. Keeping our bodies in a constant state of stress (even if you are used to it) wreaks havoc on the nervous system and our overall health. Not to mention the mental fatigue it causes that lowers our productivity and affects areas of our personal life like hindering the ability to maintain and nurture relationships.

If that’s not enough to get you to schedule time off to just chill this summer, Google The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware. Out of all of the personal stories from hospice patients told in this book, not one person on their death bed said, “I wish I had worked more.”

To many of us, taking time off is a choice, but to me it’s a requirement. Giving my mind and body time to rest is the only way I will be able to continue to do the work I love and enjoy a healthy, happy, fruitful life.

Until next time,
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com

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