Taking Time for Yourself

March 22, 2021

          I don’t know about you, but our household is very active, constantly something going on. There are lots of great moments and despite the necessity to be in the same house together, so much due to the pandemic, we have great opportunities to watch movies, eat together, play games, etc. Then there are days of challenges albeit, health, financial, emotional/social challenges, etc. Because life is so busy, it is essential that you take care of yourself and one fundamental way of doing that is to carve out time for yourself.

Women especially need to make time for themselves. As women, we tend to juggle many balls in the air at the same time, oftentimes without stopping to take a breath and then when we do stop to do something for ourselves, often, we feel guilty about it. Working and non-workign women alike find it challenging to take a break without feeling remorse. Whether you have children or not, there is probably some part of you that thinks that resting, taking a break, should come last. I used to think, I will do all my chores first and then I will rest. Well, I found out that by the time I was done with my entire to-do list, I would be so tired; that I could hardly move, let alone do anything fun. However, I’ve learned over the years that I must take out some time for myself throughout the day, not at the end.

Here are some examples of what you can do; take time to read a book, or close your eyes for a few minutes. Instead of doing more chores while the laundry is washing, you could sit down and rest for a few minutes, take a 20-minute power nap, or do something fun, draw a picture, doodle across your notebook, etc. I learned that it isn’t the end of the world if I don’t finish all the laundry before Noon (I am a very early riser J) or don’t complete it all on the same day.

Go outside as much as you can. Fresh air is great for you. Find a good book to read. Find laughter and be thankful for the little things. Look for the positives as much as you can and pray your way through everything, no matter what.

I encourage you to find a way each day to take time for yourself, even if it is only a few minutes each day, and as you get used to the idea, add more minutes until you have a nice chunk of time for yourself. Or find a day a week where you have more time to rest. By taking some “me” time, not only are you doing yourself a favor, but you are doing something that will refuel your mind and spirit so you can be more productive and more of a help for those that need you.

Samella

Samella