What my dog taught me about working

Everyone is in a rush today. There are deadlines to meet, emails to send, invoices to review and not to mention taking and maintaining inventory as just a few of my rush things. People are in a hurry and working during much of their personal time making society exhausted (gee thanks cell phones…), cranky and disconnected to themselves and others. I’m guilty of all of this. I’ve kept working all day without breaks only to realize I also forgot to eat lunch. I’ve worked until I realized I needed a light in the room because the sunset was a while ago and now I’m in the dark. This isn’t healthy for anyone. Being determined is great, but no one can keep this up for a long time without some problems. Since we adopted Loki, he has decided that he would take care of my inability to keep track of time and working too much. He’s a dog. He knows how to chill, curl up and nap at anytime, do his doggie yoga stretches, play with his toys and eat his lunch. He’s a professional at this kind of stuff. When it came to me, he had to teach me some new ways of working. He taught me that stopping for playtime for a few minutes is okay and actually boosts my energy. Playing fetch with him is a workout, anyone who has a Chihuahua knows what I mean, they are packets of pure energy! When its lunchtime, he lets me know by taking big stretches, shaking his little collar and standing at the edge of my desk staring at me until I realize he isn’t going to leave until I stop and walk away from whatever I’m doing. I haven’t missed too many more lunches because of his technique. And his last way teaching me the ways of the dog world, taking time to relax. When he decides I’m done for the day, he has a method all his own. Loki hops into my lap, blocks whatever I’m doing be it computer or yarn piles and pushes his head under my hands. This is the cue that I’m done for the day, its time for snuggles and rest. I’m pretty sure without him training me on how to rest and relax I’d keep working until 11:00 pm or later. Dogs are amazing creatures. We humans can learn so much from them. Especially in these rushed times. The key? Relax, take time to rest, you can learn a lot from your dog.