Taking a Time Out

I just finished spending my morning in travel agent hell. I tried to make flight, hotel and rental car reservations for a July trip. I was trying to coordinate two different itineraries, one of which was a "three-legged" flight. What a headache!

I have garnered new respect for the declining Travel Agent industry. With all of the travel sites available on the internet, I act as my own travel agent. This usually works when things are simple and straightforward. But throw in a few variables like a three-legged trip, and it becomes an exercise in frustration.

I won't go into the details of the frustrations I experienced. They are really only minor irritations. But I did do something I will commend to others who get frustrated with a task: take a time out.

When my frustration reached its peak, I left my computer and walked outside for a few minutes. I walked around my front porch enjoying the sun, the green lawn and trees, and began to relax. I returned to my computer renewed and ready to tackle the daunting tasks before me. (Confession: I also called a real travel agent to book the three-legged flight. It was worth every penny of her $25 fee.)

Time outs are a good strategy whenever we allow our emotions to get in the way of our functioning. Unfortunately, I often forget about this simple strategy for becoming calmer and more centered. But when I remember, life goes better.