I woke up at 4:30 this morning, the house was still and the quiet was absolutely blissful! My household is crazy all the time with 2 toddlers running around, 2 dogs and my husband it can get pretty loud quick! I can’t say I’ve always enjoyed the quiet, but that time is much more precious to me now than ever! When I was younger I don’t think I really knew how to appreciate quiet time. I was always looking for something to fill my days with. I can remember my mom telling me “an idle mind is the devil’s playground”. I never wanted to be idle so I tried my best to pack my day with busy work. Even after having kids I would look for ways to be busy even when I wasn’t. Sometimes it’s hard to adjust when the “busy” stops. Often times you have to re-adjust to really take advantage of the time. Now a much wiser me enjoys and values my quiet time. We are all so busy each and every day with kids, jobs, wives/husbands, businesses to run, friends the list goes on and on. Where do you find time for yourself? It’s so important to find this time and use it wisely. Downtime is a great way to reset your body, defuse stress and have an overall better sense of health.

Quiet time for me typically comes early in the morning or late in the evening once the kids have gone to sleep. I take this time to reflect/focus on my day, my life, the future and me. I didn’t always know what to do with this time and you may be one of those people. If you are no worries, I’ve got you covered! I want to share some great ways to help you start embracing your own quiet time. Use some of these tricks or all of them, just take a little time for yourself each day. You will start to see the results immediately, so here goes:

1. Sit still and do nothing – Sounds funny at first if you’re a busy body but it works! Take the time to sit, close your eyes and meditate or just sit in the quiet. Meditation helps to calm and relax your nervous system.

2. Take a warm bath – Light some candles and let the warm water relax the tension away. Another favorite is adding a nice smelling soak to the water. Eucalyptus/Spearmint is one of my favorite scents!

3. Unplug – I think this may be easier said than done but turn off the cell phones, iPad, iPod, laptops etc. The electronic world has taken over and it’s hard to enjoy the quiet if your phone keeps ringing.

4. Read – Pick up your favorite book or magazine. Reading is a great way to expand the mind and can also be very relaxing at the same time.

5. Write in a journal – Keeping a journal is another nice way to use your quiet time. If you need some tips on how to do this check out one of our previous blog posts here (http://greenplicity.com/store/learning-how-to-kick-the-stress-for-good/)

6. Take a nap – Power naps are a quick way to reenergize. A fifteen minute nap can give you a nice jolt of energy and mental clarity at the same time

7. Take a walk – Walking is a nice way to get the blood flowing. Step away from the computer and take a quick 5-10 minute walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the nature around you.

8. Exercise or stretch – I enjoy running, which is a nice way to get rid of stress. Yoga is another way to beat the stress and get the blood flowing at the same time. The choice is yours whether you run, walk, swim, bike etc. Time spent exercising is some of the best thinking time you’ll get all day.

However you decide to spend your quiet time is up to you. Give it a try and see the difference it makes each day, I promise you won’t regret it! Make sure you post your pics and ideas on how you decided to spend your quiet time our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/greenplicity) . We’d love to know what works for you! Look forward to hearing from you; have a great week and I’ll be thinking of you during my quiet time.