Take Time For Yourself

Do you have a hard time taking down-time? Time for yourself? Time to just decompress? And when you do, what do you do?

I know so many women who are always on the go. Working, keeping the flame in a marriage (this is no solo task), raising kids, running errands, making meals, cleaning the house, balancing budgets... oh, the list could go on and on. And so many of us have a hard time taking the time we need for ourselves. But you know what... we need a rest! 

We need time to sit down, breathe, reflect... and let our minds float away. This is how we restore ourselves. When we are restored, we can go back into the beautiful chaos of our lives stronger, and more ready to take on what is thrown at us. Take time to recharge.

I seriously struggle to find solitude for myself- because I rarely make time for it. I am always, always, on the go. But when I take time to decompress, I'm always so much better when I'm back in the field. It's not good for my health. Running rampantly all the time is exhausting. I need to remind myself to find ways to unplug from the world. Turn off my cell, walk away from the computer. Find quiet.

Part of the problem for me is that I often take on the feeling of guilt when I'm taking the time for myself. Do you struggle with this as well? I adore spending time with people... my family, my friends... all of you when I sit down to write my blog posts. Interaction makes me happy. But time for myself is vital. Time for yourself is vital, too. Solitude is a vacation for our soul. It's a time to stop doing for others and do for ourselves. We are important, too.

Rachel Hollis says it best when she says that we, women, flake on ourselves before anyone else. Why is that? I really have no answers because I am not immune to this problem. Even God, himself, rested on the seventh day. He may not have rest because He was tired, but we are humans... we get tired. 

Learning how to rest will become your great strength.

I challenge you, as I challenge myself, find ways to put yourself first. Small ways, as well as big ways. Do something just for yourself. Take a break. Show yourself some of the love that you show everyone else on a daily basis. Remember to value yourself and your needs. We'll all be much better off in our lives when we can find a way to integrate ourselves into the mix. Take a breath.