Good News For Those Retired; "Hurkle-Durkling" In Bed Is Good For Your Mental Health

I have always been, even after retiring, a "no burning daylight, eyes open, hit the floor running, drink a pot of coffee, listening to the Bible as I read my e-mails, while getting ready to go to the gym for an hour of intense strength building" kind of man. That is, until Jean taught me how to "hurkle-durkle." And although we don't do it every morning, it's now more the rule rather than the exception.

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD the phrase "burning daylight" from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet and The Merry Wives of Windsor". I heard it from that famous philosopher, John Wayne, in the epic classic, "The Cowboys". No matter where you heard it, the phrase is said to have originated in Scotland back in the early seventeen hundreds. It used to mean  “to lie in bed or lounge about when one should be up and about,” but that's not what it means anymore.

TODAY, "HURKLE DURKLE" has become the term for what could be your new favorite mental and emotional fitness exercise.

STUDIES SHOW THAT A SLOWER START TO THE DAY MEANS LESS STRESS AND A BETTER DAY.

WHAT IS HURKLE DURKLING? Hurkle Durkling is taking some time, depending on your schedule for the day, to do something that benefits your mood and energy levels rather than things that tank them.

WHAT DOES HURKLE DURKLE LOOK LIKE? Staying in bed and watching an old "Andy Of Mayberry" rerun would be considered "Hurkle Durkling." It could also be sitting on the patio on a brisk morning, wrapped in a cozy blanket, talking to your favorite person while sipping coffee. Writing in your "Thank God Journal," texting your kids/grandkids telling them how proud you are and how much you appreciate them, reading your friends' latest Facebook and Instagram posts, all while before getting out of bed... AKA Hurkle Durkling.

JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, what is your favorite way to Hurkle Durkle?