Stop And Smell The Roses

Each day we rush around making sure everything that needs to be done actually gets done. We crawl into bed at night with the self-satisfaction of knowing we took care of the day’s business. In all of our efforts though, did we take any time for ourselves? More often than not we put ourselves last on the list of who gets what and when. The crazy thing is that treating ourselves well should be the most important job we have each day because if we burn out how will everything else get done? It’s like being on an airplane when the attendant is showing how the oxygen masks will drop “in the unlikely event of a loss of cabin pressure”. She tells us to put on our own masks before helping kids or anyone else with theirs. Sometimes it is good to put us first.

Don’t get me wrong; I know that this is a tall order for most of us because it seems selfish to some and unnecessary to others. Our whole day is filled with things to get done so one way to gain perspective is to think, “will it make a difference five years from now?” If the answer is no, then you can see that it’s maybe not as important as we are making it.

It’s absurd to think that in order to treat ourselves we have to set aside a day or a weekend to relax and refresh. Nonsense! Take a moment and think about something that makes you happy. It could be reading a book, having a manicure or going to a movie. None of these things will take much time and each one of them will make a difference in your sense of well being. I used to suffer from migraine headaches that would originate in a muscle just under my left shoulder blade. I went to see an accupressurist for relief and he explained to me how that was a feminine muscle and that I spent my days taking care of everyone and everything except myself. He strongly suggested I treat myself once in a while by doing the small things that I enjoy. That was in November and as I made my way around the mall looking for Christmas gifts, I made a conscious effort to pick up a Peppermint Coffee from Starbucks to sip as I shopped. It cost me about three dollars to experience the joy of being good to myself. I would have been infused with guilt if I had chosen to go to a day spa or bought myself a new coat but a three-dollar coffee was well within my budget and money well spent. It was three and a half years before I had another migraine.

An easy treat is to stop and smell the roses. In North America when a husband brings home flowers to his wife she wonders what he is up to. In Europe when a man doesn’t bring home flowers to his wife she wonders what he is up to. The Europeans discovered long ago the impact of a simple bunch of flowers on the recipient. A study done showed how a delivery of flowers, a scented candle or chocolates was received by actually measuring the smiles they were greeted with. Each time the flowers were delivered the smiles were genuine and full and rated a ten out of ten.

While we can appreciate flowers on our dining room tables we can take their effect from our homes to our workplaces. Texas A & M University did a study to show the difference in productivity when sculpture was added to the workplace, flowers were added or there were no embellishments at all. Each time it showed that when flowers were added the creativity and problem solving productivity increased. In this study it was shown that men were able to come up with 15% more ideas overall. While the men created more ideas, the women came up with more creative and flexible solutions. See www.aboutflowers.com. This study shows how something as simple as flowers and plants can have a beneficial impact on our emotions and thinking processes.

While we are rushing around getting everything done let’s not forget why we are doing it all. What is the value in being diligent if we don’t take the time to enjoy our efforts? How will our accomplishments be well served if we are collapsing from exhaustion? Sure we have our well-earned vacations but they should be icing on the cake not a time to decompress just in time to get back into the race. Treat yourself to a special coffee or an afternoon matinee on a regular basis and remember to enjoy your life!