Rest is the next best thing.

What is rest?
Peace, ease, or refreshment resulting from sleep or the cessation of an activity.

Sleep or quiet relaxation. Relief or freedom from disquiet or disturbance. Mental or emotional tranquillity.

Most people associate rest with sleep, but you are able to rest while being fully awake.

Why do we need to rest?

A quarter of all women and a fifth of men who work full time say they are dissatisfied with their work-life balance according to the 2010 Australian Work & Life Index. If we are able to have time to rest and relax we are better able to deal with the stresses of life. 32% of people also have insomnia or sleep disturbances, so they are stuck in a vicious cycle. However you can still get rest and recharge your batteries. According to Dr Matthew Edlund we need four types of rest - physical,social,mental & spiritual rest. 

So how can you get rest and restore balance to your life?

You take some "Me" Time.

Physical rest can just be a 5 min doze, social rest is about spending time with people that make us happy, mental relaxation can include visulization and listening, and for spiritual rest we need to be present in the moment. The way I find to do this most effectively is to sit out in nature and just enjoy the moment, however if you can't do this look at an image of nature instead, be present in the moment and imagine yourself in this setting. Spend a few minutes doing this a few times a day & you will experience the benefits. 

This is what I bring to you in my photography and art, a way to rest & relax wherever you are.

Natures Window http://juliakharwood.redbubble.com/sets/149771/works

Allow youself to imagine that you are sitting in this natural rock window looking out at the vista before you, feel the warmth of the sun's rays and the cool touch of a gentle breeze, see the reflections in the water and allow yourself to flow through the landscape with the river. Take a deep breathe and inhale the scent of the bush. Take time to rest!!!

Dolphin magic

Many of us get great pleasure and company from their pets, but when we commune with wild animals in their enviroment, something magical seems to happen. It is as if these wild animals are taking time out to interact with us even when there is nothing in it for them. For me it helps to put life into perspective. Dolphins are beautiful creatures who own nothing and have to hunt each day for their food & yet still have time to frollick and play and even interact with us. I hope you can take the time to relax and just spend some time with them here.

I've got my eye on you:)

Freinds

Let's play

Hello

serene

Swimming with the Sharks

While at the Horizontal Falls I had the opportunity to swim with the sharks.....yes real sharks....but fortunately it was in a shark proof cage.

Me in the shark cage.

Sharks!!!

Once I knew the sharks couldn't hurt me, I was actually fascinated by them. Wouldn't it be good if we had a shark proof cage around us to protect us from the sharks we come across in our everyday life!
The water was beautiful & warm and it was a great experience.

If you are suffering from the effects of shark attacks in your everyday life, remember to take time out to enjoy nature and if you can't get out and about, give yourself the gift of a nature image to spend time looking at it. It has been proven through scientific experiments that spending time looking at nature has a positive effect on mood and stress levels and also increases productivity.

I have been struggling to get back into routine after being on holidays, does this happen to you too?

It's so nice to take time out and for us it's fishing, reading, taking photos and playing cards, but then it's so hard to rev back up into work mode.

I think the older I get the more benefits I see from the layed back life style. Beach walks, swims, catching up with friends. These are things we often struggle to find time for in a hectic lifestyle, but when we take time out we are reminded again of how important these things are.

If we don't prioritise these things they don't happen. I find the computer is like a bit yawning chasm that steals whole chunks of time, so I am setting my alarm to warn me when an hours up and it's time to go and do something else.

What stratagies do you have to manage your time to include leisure activities?

To give you some lesure time right where you are you can have a look at my latest pictures taken while I was on holidays at http://juliakharwood.redbubble.com/ Enjoy:)