Self-Care ISN'T Selfish

Self-care is such a buzz term right now. I don't think I really got it until this past week, more specifically this past Sunday. 

Mommy and me in our slippers this past summer in France... aka the last time I had a real vacation.

All jobs take energy, but I'd argue that client-facing jobs take a little bit more (excluding of course jobs that are physically demanding). Spending a majority of my day on the phone or meeting with clients in person, takes a ton of energy. I'm not complaining, I actually love it and I am amused by the way I snap into smiley, client-facing mode the minute someone answers the phone/I enter the lobby for a visit. Not that I'm not always sunshine and rainbows but... 😊

Last week I had one of those, every night is booked weeks. Adding to that, it was a holiday weekend so my nights were spent at Seders, and going to bed way beyond my bedtime. I went into Sunday tired and ended it exhausted. I saw a fabulous play but couldn't really concentrate and when I came home and sat on my couch for the first time since Thursday, I knew that I needed to make time for some good old fashioned R&R... the next thing I know, I woke up and it was 9pm. Yup, I was a cooked goose.

It is HARD to make time for yourself. I'm a social person, I get invited to things, have a lot of people who are important to me that I want to make time for, go on dates, have work, like to exercise each morning, you get the idea. Carving out time for something as simple as sitting to read or getting a massage can feel like precious hours (and in the case of the latter dollars) that could be better spent with others or at least investing in my career by reading sales books and researching clients, but actually nothing could be further from the truth. 

I love a good mural and yes, the hustle is real, you can't get what you want without the hustle, but don't only and always go hard. 

Without time to recharge, everything suffers. Case in point, today is Tuesday and I already feel like it's been a whole week, not because work has been insane, but because I've basically been going since last Monday without a break. I know that week's like last week will happen again, but I'm going to spend those that aren't, being mindful that I take the time I need. While I do have plans this coming weekend, they are ones that will recharge my soul and are each for a few hours during the afternoons. I had been tempted to schedule more things but instead, I'm going to leave it as is and take those extra moments to refill my Le-ometer (yes I just said that, I told you, I'm tired) and write more blog posts for you all! I may even get wild and book myself a massage for later in the month.  

Now I officially grant each of you permission to take the time you need to "breath, stretch, shake, let it go." Let me know what you'll be doing to reset in the comments! I'd love suggestions AND any tips on what you do when your days/weeks are nonstop.

P.S. March favorite coming soon!