Definition: bring or come to an abrupt stop. A suspension of movement or activity, typically a temporary one.
The word HALT makes me think of a big German soldier as he puts his hand up stating “HALT Who Goes There?” it must have been in some movie or as kids are running down the hallway in the house and you have to stop them by stating firmly, “HALT what’s all the rush?” As your intuition is telling you they are probably up to something.
Have you ever come to a complete HALT? Perhaps it was while traveling down the freeway or highway and traffic seems to be flowing very nicely and you turn the corner or come up over the hill and all of a sudden every lane of traffic is stopped? Or perhaps you are in an elevator and you are coming down several floors and it suddenly stops abruptly without warning the doors may or may not open. This can all cause a bit of irritation and stress.
What about your life in general? Have things been going along rather smoothly and suddenly you receive a phone call or an incident brings a sudden change and your life is instantly at a HALT? Me too…
Well this brings up a very good point maybe the HALT we really need to discuss stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. The last blog post was about Blah…I really disliked how I was feeling so I decided to put the brakes on and come to a complete HALT to figure out the root cause of those feelings. Bottom line I self-diagnosed myself in having H.A.L.T.
H – I was Hungry not necessarily for food but for clarity and purpose. I no longer wanted to be the hamster in the wheel going round and round and not getting as far along as I liked. Reacting instead of Responding. Basically burned out.
A – I was Angry deep inside for changes that were completely out of my control and it was weighing heavy on my soul.
L – I felt Lonely because so much of this I felt I was doing on my own. It is unchartered territory.
T – I was Tired, physically, mentality and emotionally.
This truly has some merit. Being Hunger, Angry, Lonely or Tired are conditions that leave us more vulnerable to temptations that lead us away from the person we are truly met to be. How many of you when stressed do not eat properly? Did you know sometimes the onset of anxiety or sudden drop in mood can be traced to our having forgotten to eat so our blood sugar levels are off kilter? Sometimes we may be carrying resentment, or feeling lonely or we are just too tired. “Takin Time Out” from our busy schedule is so important to ask ourselves if we are feeling too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, and this will allow us to look deep inside to our feelings. When we know what we are truly feeling we can make better choices and take the appropriate action to eat proper foods and drink plenty of water, breathe in deeply to release the anger, find and connect to better relationships, REST and hit the reset button.
The first of the year I joined a Mastermind group, these amazing women are teaching me so much. This past week we discussed how important it is to carve out appropriate time for Self-Care, especially when life is hectic and out of control. If you don’t take care of yourself; you won’t be able to take care of those you love the most. Self-Care doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend lots of money…it means to take time to do something to fill your tank. Perhaps it is going to the library and read, taKing a long walk or run, just sitting in silence, having coffee or tea with a good friend. Others may want to get a massage, facial, play golf, tennis, cycle, rock climb. Go out to eat and for those who have a spouse or partner plan a date night once a month. I know it can be hard to find a sitter with little ones but one of the ladies has a very close friend and they trade out watching the children. The girlfriend actually goes to her friend’s house later in the evening and puts the kids to bed for the night and then she has 2 to 3 hours alone time (self-care) while her friend and husband go out to eat or to a movie and the next week they switch. I thought that was a very brilliant idea.
You know scripture talks about how important self-care really is. Exodus 31:17 “…in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” When is the last time you did something for just yourself? If it has been a while maybe it is time to plan and make that date with yourself. For those of us with busy schedules maybe we need to set an appointment with ourselves, block that time out just as you would if it was a business meeting. Most importantly DO NOT FEEL GUILTY!
As you are “Takin Time Out” and come to a HALT this week make plans for your date with self-care and then as Nike states “Just Do It” … I promise you will be soooo glad you did. Until next time breathe deeply, eat properly and relax…tomorrow is a new day to begin again refreshed! It’s time for me to refill my mug with some savoring green tea and draw my warm bubble bath with candles and soft music…yes that is a little self-care…
I would love to hear what you do for self-care…leave your remarks below!
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