It’s 1.25am, early Friday morning. Wait a minute…wasn’t it just Saturday yesterday? Time is blazing past us at an incredible speed. We just don’t know what to make of it. It is the same 24 hours x 60 minutes or 24 hours x 3,600 seconds per day as it was 25 years ago. Or is it? I wonder.

It does not seem so. First clue is the speed each day goes by. We don’t seem to be doing anything really extra than the routine (some people may say, “mundane”) everyday things. However, 25 years ago; there was time to enjoy the sunset, have family time (mostly watch family tv shows) for a couple of hours or so.

Today, most people don’t seem to have that couple of hours to spare each day. Strange… Today’s household is equipped with the latest and the greatest in technology. Therefore, not having even two hours should not be so.

Each person should have even more than the two hours. Some of the “perks” of each above-averaged households include the privilege of enjoying central controlled lighting via their smartphone. This is supposed to help reduce electricity consumption. Then, there is the “i-robot” vacuum cleaner, the auto vacuum cleaner that cleans and mops and then goes back to its charging station. This is a big, “wow”. You don’t have to do a thing…well…at least that is what those who sold you the idea of an i-robot vacuum cleaner wanted you to think. You know those hard to reach angled corners or furniture not high enough for the i-robots to pass under? Since that very expensive i-robot vacuum cleaner that is supposed to make your life much easier can’t reach those tough spots, guess who has to manually clean those areas?

All these gadgets and self-help do help save us quite a lot of time each day, the quantum of time varying for each individual or family.

However, we are creatures who easily forget how to enjoy this new found free time which we can add to our pleasures of life. So, what do we do with this “new found time” that we now have thanks to technology, gadgets and all the other modern day timesaving features? Instead of relaxing and enjoying this time; we pile ourselves with more work that we now can do into that saved time. We are so “kan cheong”. Kan Cheong loosely translated from Hokkien means being busy body.

This means more activity is cramped into each 24 hour day. We find ourselves busier than ever before. We keep piling more and more into whatever time we have. We often hear people say, “The day has flown by so fast”. In fact we, ourselves; use this phrase, often enough.

How do we know when we have “more than we can chew” each day in terms of work, doing things or keeping busy? How do we know when we need to take a break, even for a couple of minutes every hour or so? To have a reasonable amount of time to relax?

From the many articles I have read, our human body sends “alarm signals” to let us know, we need that break, rest or a day /s off. When you are tired either mentally, physically or both; heed to those signals. Each person has different “alarm signals”. A physically healthy person may be able to do more or go further. However, they, too; will receive their “alarm signals” to rest.

It is quite unfortunate that many of us choose to ignore these signals because we feel we need to go the extra distance or we are pressured to meet schedules. We feel there is too much to do and too little time to do it. Are you still smiling and happy at the end of each day? Do you feel you have accomplished much? I was in this “pressured” category (definitely pressured category) for a long time, until I asked myself these questions which led me to decide to “take my foot off the gas pedal” to enjoy more family life.

Taking time off to rest and relax is not goofing off. Today’s buzz phrase that I keep hearing is “a work life balance / life schedule”. These pleasures of life are not whimsical and should not be taken lightly.

Work will always be there. Everything is urgent, which is important? Prepare a schedule each day with a list of 10 things you think that is important which you want to complete for that day. If you can complete 6, 7 or more; you have accomplished much. If you 😊, you are satisfied.

Now, the rest and relax rejuvenates me which I find I can do more each day. Quality rest. Quality work.

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I do once in a while fall back into the pressured category. I soon recognize it and take positive steps to get back into the balance of things.

Notes:
1. Kan Cheong is a Hokkien word which means:
i. Nervous, keyed up.
ii. Tense, intense, strained.