Reconnecting With a Past Love

Before heading off on holiday a couple of weeks ago, I was musing about the importance of writing or re-writing a list of the top 10 things that make you happy. It had been a while since I had looked at my list, so I figured that while I was away it would be a perfect time to review my top 10.

In the past, it has taken me a couple of days to get into vacation mode. I usually go off the grid when I’m on holiday, and in the first day or two I’m often tempted to go online. But this time was different. When I checked in for my flight, I checked out of my computer, my email, my Facebook and Twitter accounts. And you know what? It felt fantastic.

My top 10 list used to include “holidays” as one of the things that make me happy. Now I’m getting more specific and altering that to “holidays where I unplug”!

Even though I try to unplug on weekends (or at the very least on Sundays), an extended period of time away from technology is a great way to clear the mind.

I didn’t think about work, I didn’t think about my inbox or anything else for that matter. I was in full relaxation mode.

Much of my top 10 list stayed the same. And if you read my blog regularly you won’t be surprised that yoga, running, meditation, writing and reading still made the list. But while I was away I found a new activity to add to my happy list. I reconnected with a past love of mine: swimming.

Growing up in Bermuda and England, I swam competitively. You could hardly keep me out of the water.  Pool, ocean, lake, you name it. As an adult I swim at the cottage, at hotel pools or the beach when on vacation, but I haven’t made swimming a priority in my daily life. While I was away, however, I swam laps every day. And I was surprised at how happy I felt afterwards.

I loved the feeling of my body moving through the water, the breathing rhythm of my freestyle stroke, the fact that every muscle in my body was working with one another to propel me forward.  I was also amazed at the sense of peace and calm I experienced as I swam, and the subsequent feeling of satisfaction.

So, while much of my top 10 happy list has remained the same, I am thrilled to have rediscovered a new, yet old, favourite. Swimming is joining the happy ranks.

Is there an old love of yours that you want to reconnect with this summer?

Clearing Space and the Time Crunch 

Have you made a bucket list lately? Or a list of the top 10 things that make you happy?

When I read this article in the Globe and Mail last week about how, as Canadians, our leisure time is shrinking, I was reminded of why it’s so important to have these kinds of lists. To have in writing the things you want to be spending your time doing. A reminder. A checklist.

The article reports that, “the hours that Canadians spend refreshing their minds and their bodies through leisure and cultural activities – and moments shared with family – are being condensed and it’s affecting their well-being.”

It seems like common sense, doesn’t it? If we’re not nurturing our bodies, minds and spirits, of course it will have a negative affect on our overall health. So, why is it happening?

Now, more than ever, we need to clear space for the things that make us happy. For the people who are important. For the sports or hobbies or adventures we love or that we’ve always wanted to try.

I like to think that I am pretty in tune with the things that make me happy. But the article reminded me that there are still ways that I can make leisure time more of a priority. Work will always be there, but friends and family might not be.

Ironically, tomorrow I’m leaving on a five-day getaway with some of my high school girlfriends. (which is definitely in my top 10 happy list!) While I’m away I’m going to rewrite my bucket list, review my top 10 things that make me happy, and brainstorm about ways I can clear some more space for leisure time.

Will you join me in making your bucket list, your top 10 things that make you happy, and a plan for how to act on these lists? If we all do it, perhaps we can reverse the time crunch trend. Wouldn’t it be great to read about a rise in the amount of time that people are clearing space for themselves?