It is important for our mental health to allow time for the mind to rest.
Spend some time each day enjoying the day.   When my family was on the last leg of our cruise from California to the east coast, Tim and I were sitting on the bow of the boat watching the sun set.  We were about to head north up the east coast, and it was probably the last time for a long time that we would see the sun set over the ocean.  We were reminiscing about the times we had watched the sun set, watching to look for the green flash.  Somewhere early on in our cruise, sunset became a daily tradition.  We stopped whatever we were doing and watched the sun set on the horizon.  Only once had I actually seen the flash of green as the last of the sun’s rays sank below the waves.  The last color of the prism of colors of the sun.  Tim may have seen it twice, once on top of a mountain in the high Sierras.

“Mom,” Tim worried.  “When we get back to land, I’m afraid we won’t watch the sun set any more.”   Wise child that he was, he was right.  Rarely do I stop now and salute the sun setting behind the trees of College Park.   But stopping to acknowledge the beauty of a sunset, another day here on earth, is a good and healthy habit to acquire.  

Giving our bodies time to rest slows the heart rate, reduces blood pressure, slows breathing and decreases muscle tension while increasing blood flow to our muscles. Relaxation can give us more energy and enhanced immunity, and calmer emotions.  We sleep better, think better and can deal with pain better.  Next time someone tells you “give it a rest,” take their advice.   

Want to know more about the "Green flash?"   

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