Embracing The Snow Day
Today the Federal Government announced it will shut down early in Washington, DC in anticipation of what--as a woman who grew up in north-- I would describe as a dusting of snow. As the call came in from my kids' school, my first reaction was honestly: ugh, but I have so much to do!
It got me wondering: in the go-go-go culture of the 21st century, have we lost the joy of a good snow day?
Sure, getting them from school and then home will be a traffic disaster. Sure, I had 10 things I really wanted to do this afternoon that I won't get to until tonight or tomorrow. Here’s the fact of the matter: my kids’ school is closing early, so I really only have one choice: I can either enjoy the day or not enjoy the day.
I’m choosing to embrace the snow day and here are three reasons why:
Taking an opportunity to slow down: as somebody who is a habitual over-scheduler, I have to remind myself that slowing down can be even more fruitful than speeding up. In fact, I typically have my most meaningful "lightbulb moments" when I close the laptop and tell myself I'm "done" with work for the day. While I'm slowing down today out of necessity, I'm pushing myself to remember that sometimes my best and most creative ideas come to me on days just like these.
Enjoying time with my kids: as I've written about previously, I'm at my most stressed when I have those rushing-home-working-the-whole-time moments. I’ve made a plan to segment my day and get back online after bedtime. Instead of pressuring myself to get it all done by 5PM or 6PM, I've made a choice about how I'm going to spend my time—and I'm genuinely looking forward to making mac and cheese with my kids.
Being spontaneous: honestly, how fun?! I'm never home on a random Tuesday afternoon with my family and nowhere we need to be. Will the afternoon include movies? Games? Having friends over? Instead of stressing out about what I will or won't get to, I'm just welcoming this unexpected afternoon with open arms.
So, can we all agree to put the laptops down for just a few hours and bring back the joy of a good-old-fashioned snow day?
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Randi Braun is an executive coach, consultant, speaker and the Founder of Something Major. Copyright, Randi Braun 2020.