How to Relax...

So today I turned in my project at noon, and silently celebrated...yay! One more semester down...2 more to go...

And then I looked at my afternoon...what was I going to do? There's always been a deadline looming over my head, something to edit, e-mails to respond to, youth to check up on...none of which needed to be done today or this week...I would have a chance to finally relax!!

Then it hit me. How do I relax? I thought about going for a run - too wet outside, well really just too lazy today. I cleaned out some papers - still felt a little stressed. I browsed the Internet for a while - nothing that stimulated my brain. I took a bath - not usual for me, but it works for my roommates. Not so much for me apparently...so I finally gave up and ran some errands.

In the course of the day, I've realized that I really don't know how to relax. I have been going non-stop for so long that to stop takes more will-power than to go. I can't sit still without feeling guilty - like I should be working hard or at least diligently on something. How do I change that mind-set? Some say diet and exercise; others say meditation (I fell asleep during my first yoga class - don't think that would work). I'm really not sure what works for me besides escaping from my crazy world...

This week I went down to South Georgia to surprise Brendan and escape from the crazy ATL. I also got to see my best friend from when we were 4 - so much fun :) Somehow, down there, I found myself relaxed. I didn't need to do anything - it was all at home. I didn't have to solve anyone's problems - they all knew I was MIA for a couple days. I didn't have to return phone calls unless I wanted to. I didn't have to clean. I just had to enjoy the people around me and God's creation in the form of cotton fields and old buildings. However, my world is much different here. It's like coming to a whole new world. The traffic quadruples, the lights and constant messages bombard you as you drive down the road, people cut you off just because they can, you have to be places on time, expectations are high....everything different from the calm or as someone put it, "the serene fields" of South Georgia.

So my battle begins for the next couple of weeks before insanity starts again - how can I relax in the crazy world in which I live?