Give Yourself A Break

I’m giving you permission to give yourself a break. Seriously- do it. No guilt, no shame, just an extra bit of rest. Trust me here- sometimes you need it.

Fun fact: I skipped the gym on Monday night and took a nap instead. Whaaaatttt?!?!

I know, I know. I broke my “never miss a Monday” rule. But man, was it necessary. I struggled with my decision on whether or not to go, and guess what happened? I felt a lot better and I did not suddenly gain 10 pounds.

We all have flaws, and I’m well aware of mine. Probably one of my biggest flaws is that I put a lot of pressure on myself to Do. It. All.

Guess what, though? The world won’t end if you don’t get it all done right this second.

My ex and I do shared parenting, which means every other weekend, Jax goes to his dad’s house and I am kid-free.

When Jax is with me, we stay constantly busy. Weekdays, my alarm goes off at 5:30, we usually don’t get home until 8pm, then it’s bathtime, laundry, dishes, get ready for the next day, get ready for bed, and crash. Weekends we do zoo trips, gym, swimming, church, cleaning the house, etc., etc.

So every time he goes to his dad’s I create this plan in my head. I’ll go to the grocery, get some writing done, paint my nails, clean a little extra, clean out my car, get caught up on all the other “adulting” I didn’t get to that week, and try to catch up on rest (because have I mentioned that Jax doesn’t sleep? like ever??).

Of course, I never get to everything I have planned. And that’s ok.

Here’s the thing- all of this crap I “need” to get done is due to a set of self-imposed rules and time frames. I literally stress myself out. Obviously, that’s ridiculous.

Hear me out on this: if you need rest, it’s okay to give yourself that break!

Sometimes the sheets get changed a day later than I’d planned (I do change my sheets on a regular basis so let’s be real- an extra day isn’t really gonna kill me).

Sometimes I go longer than a week without vacuuming out my car. And nothing bad happens.

Sometimes (okay, most of the time), I don’t get near as much writing done as I’d hoped. Know what happens? Yeah, nobody dies.

Probably the toughest break for me is when my body feels run down and I know I need a rest day from the gym. It’s hard for me to give myself that break.

When I do slack off a bit, I end up feeling guilty and anxious. Why?? It Makes. No. Sense.

Listen, stressing about not doing enough is silly. Actually, I’d say it’s pretty unhealthy.

Give yourself permission to take care of YOU. Not everything needs to be tackled tonight. You are only one person, and you have limits.

One little caveat, though- you can’t use this excuse for everything, all the time. I’m still a big believer in working hard and getting rid of your own excuses. Take care of your body, your home, and your family, work toward your goals, and don’t give yourself a break just because you’re lazy.

However, it is important to learn to recognize your limits. Prioritize what truly needs to be done, and take care of your own needs.

None of it will get done if you run yourself into the ground.

Stop causing yourself unnecessary anxiety. I promise it’s not doing anyone any good.

Relax. Breathe. And give yourself a break already!

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