CHAPLAIN'S CORNER: Take a time out to relieve stress Published April 3, 2008 By Chaplain (Capt.) Mike Curtis Tinker Chapel TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Running down the field, I found myself screaming at the top of my lungs. These players just wouldn't listen! I mean, I'm the coach - listen to the coach, right? Never mind that many of them had never played soccer, they were 7 and 8 years old and knew how to listen. I was watching an adventure not of soccer, but of amoeba ball. Just a mass of bodies, not caring what team, what strategy, or even what game they were playing - a mass of bodies kicking at a ball without a care in the world. So, I wondered - can I even call a timeout in this league? Timeouts generally don't exist in soccer, but with these kids, can we do it? Just as I was about to ask the ref, the other coach was screaming for a time out. My question was answered. My players ran over, got water, and, well to be honest, they didn't really listen well then either. Today many of us find ourselves engrossed in life and we need a time out, just to get our breath. We seem to be doing more than we did ever before but enjoying much less. We are living our lives in an age of "multitasking," doing far too many things at once - yet it seems that many are longing more meaningful life. Here are a few suggestions for living a simpler, less stressed, more meaningful life: Losing track of making a life while making a living · Have you noticed that while you are climbing the ladder of success you are actually getting further away from what you really love? · Measure your success. You may be making more money than you ever did, have a bigger house, greater influence over others, but at what cost? Is it worth losing the pleasure of family? Is your job keeping you away from home more than you'd like? Maybe you should think about having more time for family. · Make lists. Every now and then make lists of things you would really like to do. Think about recreating those happier times. Go down the memory lane and look at old photographs, those boxed up home movies. Think about what you were doing then and what you're doing now and what are its impact on you and your family. Losing track of time · You often say "I don't have time for that", or you're so stressed for time that you are counting the number of grocery items at the express checkout line and a five minute wait makes you restless. You barely find time to talk to your family or friends. You are in activity overload. Take deliberate steps to slow down and do less. · Try to write down everything you do for a week and how much time you spend at each activity. This way you'll be able to take an inventory on how you spend your time. · Start rating your activities according to their priority, and decide to cut out the low priority ones that you don't enjoy. · Whenever you are feeling rushed or stressed, try to relax by deep breathing. Practice this when you are on hold, waiting in line or working on a suspense at work. · Make your waiting time from "lost time" to "found time". Carry a book, magazine or newspaper clipping and read while you wait. Carry a MP3 player and listen to music to help reduce stress. · Doing several things at a time may seem to be more productive and efficient, but you actually end up feeling rushed and stressed. Practice doing one thing at a time - even simple things. You'll find out that this way you do a better job too. · You have to learn to say "no." You may find it hard but you'll be surprised at how sympathetically people will respond, after all they're busy too. · Buy less and get rid of the excess. Clean up one drawer or shelf a week. Adopt a rule: For every item that you bring into your house, one goes out. Prevention is the best medicine · Take good care of yourself. It will help you live longer and healthier; it costs less in the long run. · Exercise for 30 minutes three times a week and have regular tests, including Pap smears, mammograms, and colon cancer screenings. · Give yourself a Time Out: If you feel burnt out and stressed then you can not be productive. Recharge and relax for sometime by doing what you really like or even better, do nothing at all. You have nothing to feel guilty about. Many of these suggestions will give you a moment of time out in your day. Time outs do exist in life; there is no need to wait. As you feel overwhelmed with life, step back, breathe and enjoy the life given to you by God.