A couple weeks ago I got the joy (well, sorta) of having an unexpected afternoon off. Strong storms went through our area and knocked down quite a few power lines and we didn’t have electricity at work. Being the good employee that I am, I reported to work at my normal time, did what I could in the dark and then sat there…finally, after talking with my supervisor, we decided to close the office for the rest of the day and I headed home. So, there I sat… I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a day, or even a couple hours off work where I didn’t have something else planned (time with the boys, traveling to a game for the boys, leaving on vacation, appointments etc).
A whole afternoon to myself and I didn’t even know where to start. I felt torn between doing the things that I knew needed to be done (cleaning the bathroom, cleaning up the kitchen, doing a couple loads of laundry, etc) and the things that I wanted to do (watch DVR’d TV, blog, go shopping, run errands, etc). I ended up doing mostly what I wanted to do. I did watch some of the shows that I had sitting on the DVR for awhile. I knocked out a couple of blog posts, I ran errands, and started supper. I also did a load of laundry. That night while I was getting ready for bed…staring at the dirty bathroom sink, I felt guilty for not using my time “wisely”. I thought about everything I should have done with my afternoon off. And, I’m going to say…almost everything on my should have list was for everyone else. It was taking care of things to make life more enjoyable for my family…or making sure we had clean clothes, a clean house, etc. Nothing to feed my soul…and then, I didn’t feel so guilty. I think as moms, wives, step-moms we all focus on everything that needs to be done and we ignore ourselves when we need to do something to fill our souls. When was the last time you scheduled yourself for some time at home and did what you wanted to? When was the last time you did something to fill your bucket? We need to remember that to be the best women (and even guys for that matter because there are a lot of dads and husbands who are the same way) that we need to fill our buckets with things we love, enjoy, and are for our own personal souls every once in awhile.
“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”
― Eleanor Brownn
On a fun note, I decided to ask my Facebook followers what they would do if they had an entire afternoon to themselves. Here are some of the answers!
- Take a nap
- have a glass of wine
- Read a book
- Watch a movie
- Bake
So, what would you do if you had an afternoon off to yourself?
It is weird for you to have an afternoon with nothing scheduled! But a good weird. 🙂 Chris and I have been working like crazy this past week but we have also paced ourselves and decided when enough was enough. I have managed to have some “deck time” with my Kindle and that has helped me chill out and not be overwhelmed with what lies ahead. Self care is important and you deserve to have some unscheduled moments!
You are right, it is very weird! I enjoyed it and hated that I struggled with the not being productive party, but that’s all part of Learning As I Go, right? You are absolutely right that self-care is so important and yet, I think so many of us overlook it!
I love all of these suggestions:)
Me too! I’d be willing to have a few more hours off to give some of these a try! 😉
You’re right. There are guys who feel this same way too. Whenever I have an hour or two of alone time I like to get out my original Nintendo and play some Mario Brothers.
That’s awesome! I want to play with you because I LOVED that game!!
Taking time for yourself is huge! You can’t really take care of others if you’re run down. I’d probably nap or read a book. Maybe both 😉
It really is and I tend to get caught up in the hub of life and everything that needs to be done that I’m not always good about relaxing and taking care of myself in that matter! I think both read and a nap sounds delightful!