As I browse my feeds, there are various articles and quotes about things such as how 41% of North Americans are sleep deprived which leads to many things including depression, anxiety, weight gain.
I see every day and even experienced it myself as a young, single, working mom how parents fail to spend not only enough time with their children, but making what little energy that's left over something of substance.
Our employers see us as sub-par performers if we come and go at our regularly scheduled hours and take our full lunch break.
The pressures to not only succeed but be the perfect person, employee, friend, parent, sibling, child are paralyzing us, making us numb, detached, anxious, depressed.
Think carefully about the percentage of your life that you spend working, tending to household chores and taking care of responsibilities/obligations versus having meaningful interactions with the people we love as well as internally with our own thoughts.
How much time have you taken to just breathe in the fresh air, soak up the sun, feel raindrops on your face, listen to the birds sing or the wind or simply the silence?!
Check out this article about a study that showed areas with higher tree densities have lower rates of depression!
http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/living-near-more-trees-means-fewer-antidepressants
One thing I hear each time someone comes to Pelee Island for a visit is how they notice the silence and peaceful stillness. I am sure I've already stated it more than once in previous blogs, but I'll say it again - the island is magical that way.
Whether Pelee is your thing or you find your magic elsewhere, take that time to really think about what's important in life. What feeds your soul? If you are not spending your days feeding your soul, you are most likely draining it with things that are soul sucking.
What gives you purpose? Feeds your soul?