could you use a break? here's a sign

If you spend most of your time caring for others, getting ample down time can be a huge challenge. Interrupted sleep, schedule changes and unplanned events can often seem like the norm. But taking advantage of small, unexpected sense pauses during the day—and looking at them as gifts instead of monkey wrenches—just might help us realize that feeling better rested could be within our reach.

While I do enjoy listening to music, podcasts are my go-to for extended car trips or the occasional solo walk. I set aside time to queue up episodes on yoga teaching, entrepreneurship, caregiving, etc., always making sure I have more than enough content to take me through the jaunt ahead of me. Last week, as I started to head up the the hilly dirt road on my regular walking route, I could feel myself getting drawn into the conversation about crystals coming from my right earbud—the only one I use, so I can be aware of my surroundings—rough or tumbled?

It was a discussion I was eager to listen to, but something stopped me in my tracks just then, and compelled me to look to my right. I didn’t hear anything unusual, but for some reason I immediately paused my iPhone. As my eyes scanned the rise of dense forest beside the road, I noticed what I thought was a rock formation far in the distance, which to me—through my sunglasses and the mesh of trees in front of it—looked like the hind end of our buff-colored pet cow Blossom.

I chuckled to myself as I squatted lower for a clearer view, imagining what it would take for a 2,000-pound heifer with a weak back leg to make it to that rockly elevation. As I pulled down my sunglasses, I noticed that it was actually a trio of deer silently traversing the sleep ledge. I watched until I couldn’t see them anymore, taking a moment to appreciate the stillness around me. Then—without thinking— readjusted my glasses, pressed Play, and pursposefully resumed my own climb.

When my podcast didn’t resume, it hit me: “I really should make the most of this quiet landscape all around me, instead of escaping somewhere else. I don’t need this distraction … ” But still I fiddled with my device for a few moments more, until I remembered the spotty Internet in our area … and thought once again about how what we need is often put smack in front of us.

I pocketed my phone, removed my earbud, and spent the rest of my walk taking in the beauty all around me. I listened to the crunch of my steps on the gravel. I felt the rush of warm summer air on my skin. I noticed the piney fragrance of browning needles carpeting the roadside. And colorful mushrooms caught my eye from the damp woodland. How could I have missed these things before?

Rest isn’t just about sleeping in (though that’s high on my list these days). Sometimes it can seem like we can’t function without our background Netflix, noisy distractions and mile-long to-do list. Breaking up with an endless stream of sound—so, the overload on even just one of our five senses—can provide our brains with a long-overdue respite. When we quiet the external we have the space to find what’s going on inside us. It’s the same reason we might close our eyes or unfocus our gaze during yoga practice. Gifting ourself with the ability to enjoy the expanse that’s around (and within) us provides us with room to appreciate, learn and dream … even for just a few moments.

I couldn’t believe I had never noticed these eye-catchers before