As a child, I was never given a time-out by my mother. It can be that I was super well-behaved. It can be that the concept didn’t really exist in my community. It can be that I am not remembering things as accurately as they were. I allow for all to be true.  I don’t believe I’ve ever given my son a time-out. It coukd be that I don’t remember. I can only recall five temper tantrums in his childhood. As a matter of fact, he’s more temperamental as a teenager. That is to be expected.

But now, as an adult, I need to give myself a time out. Or rather allow myself a time out. Or two. Or three.  I am often in so many back to back meetings, that staff remind me to to use the restroom.  Was that too mich information?  I don’t believe it is TMI as I believe many other people go through this. During these covid times, even more so. Zoom/virtual events make it that you leave one meeting and click into another.  Where’s the watercooler chit chat? It’s almost non-existant for a few who find themselves running in heels to use the restroom in a minute or less.

At this point, we need to put ourselves on time out to decompress and literally not think about anything. When we were kids, we were put on timeouts to supposedly reflect on our actions. Nowadays, we need to put ourselves on a time-out so that we can disconnect from the world. In between meetings, take five minutes to do nothing. Give yourself a time out. Put yourself and baby in the corner for a breather. A moment of zen. Put your head down, if you must. Or walk with no purpose or destination. At the end, “rehydration” of your spirit will hopefully occur.