Sloth Day

I am aware that sloth is #7 on the list of seven deadly sins. Even in this state of awareness, I intentionally chose to designate today, November 18th as my own personal sloth day. The irony that I've chosen to do this on a Sunday does not escape me.

When I was once entrenched in the 9-5 corporate world, sloth day would go as follows:

1. call in "sick"
2. turn on the answering machine
3. pile on the sofa in my pjs with my favorite blanket and pillow
4. make sure the following was on the coffee table: a bowl of peanut m&ms, the remote control, something to read, a diet coke
5. resolve to leave the sofa only to go to the bathroom or the kitchen
6. I would then nap, eat, watch tv, read and repeat this cycle until my exhaustion was abated and/or I ran out of m&ms

The next day, I'd return to work refreshed and get back on the hamster wheel for another 6 months or so before the need for another sloth day would arise.

No longer am I entrenched in the 9-5 corporate world, or the 9 -9 non-profit world and no longer do I drive myself to the point of exhaustion...well, almost never! I'm not sure why I needed a sloth day today, but I certainly listened to my body, mind and spirit and let it rip!

Today, my sloth day played out like this:

1. Stayed in my pjs most of the day
2. ate comfort food that was warm and nutritious
3. finished two books I had started
4. listened to my favorite Sunday PBS shows, which I haven't heard since I don't know when ("Say What," "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," "The Splendid Table," and "A Prairie Home Companion")
5. began accumulating things to take on the Thanksgiving trip
6. went through boxes, cookbooks and more boxes to find all the recipes and baking pans I need to make my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner (carrot cake...for anyone who's curious!)
7. crawled into my warm, comfy bed and watched "Moonstruck," interspersed with napping
8. took a shower
9. put on real clothes and took the dog for a joy ride in the car
10. blogged

OK...so a review of today's list looks less like sloth and more like feasting on that which feeds not only my body, but my mind and spirit. If that's gluttony, then maybe I traded one deadly sin for another, but I most certainly feel more clear-headed and energized than I did 12 hours ago.

What do you do to recharge?