A couple weeks ago I booked a day off work and I told no one about it. I got up that morning and got ready just as I would on a regular work day. I got the kids off to school, no one asked me anything and I didn’t tell them. As I headed home I felt like a teenager skipping school, that I was playing hooky from my life in some way and I felt a slight bit guilty.
Recently I had been feeling overwhelmed with all of the demands in my life. I know the importance of making time for myself and often do, however, life has a way of taking a turn and before I knew it, I had been pulled into the vortex of only responding to the needs of everyone around me. The to do list started piling up and soon I began waking up in the morning accounting for every single hour of my day.
I didn’t need a spa day. I didn’t need a day out shopping. I just needed a little bit of time with myself, some space where no one was asking anything of me.
So much of our time is spent responding to all of the demands around us - work, kids, friends and family, we can get worn down. As much as we are grateful and on most days it can all seem manageable, on other days it can feel like a lot.
Making time for yourself shouldn’t be a luxury, it should be a priority. It is like the old adage, on the airplane if there is trouble and the oxygen masks fall, put yours on first, because you can’t help anyone else if you are not well.
So how do we do this in the busyness of life? Finding time might mean getting up an hour earlier in the morning (5am for me), stepping away from family for an evening, or booking a day off work such as I did. Whether you need time to just be with yourself or you want to get out and do something in the community, whatever you use that time for should directly benefit you! You could try a free kickboxing class at Loyalist Martial Arts (I did this and it was so much fun!) or take a hike at one of our local conservation areas. I love to browse the books at Chapters with a tea in hand or have dinner at my favourite local restaurant, Toro Sushi.
There will always be times in life that the demands take us off track, the important thing is that we find our way back. I know that when I make time for me, I am more able to manage the stressors in my life and it makes me a better mom and role model for my children.
Don’t be afraid to step away for an hour or an afternoon. Don’t be afraid to take some time to just be with yourself, it’s not selfish, it’s smart. The better you take care of you, the better you will be for everyone around you.
Johanna