A Moment for Self-Care

This has been an extremely busy week with lots of events, most of which have entailed cooking and cleaning on my part. As a deliberate piece of self-care, I decided to put off writing my blog until today. I am a recovering perfectionist who is fanatic about making deadlines (even self-imposed ones).  I have a hard time letting go and giving myself permission to be LATE. However, in the interest of practicing what I preach, I decided that one day, two days, even a week would not be an issue in the grand scheme of things.

Surprisingly, the world did not end. I did not feel terribly guilty, and my other obligations were easier to fulfill. So it is with the world – sometimes I can’t do everything. Sometimes my best-laid plans get smashed. Sometimes it is all I can do to put one foot in front of the other.  Sometimes I need to give myself the grace that I readily give to others.

For these times, the best I can do is to prioritize my most pressing tasks and let the others take a back seat. In so doing I also need to realize that sometimes the most important task is to take care of myself.

Women are bombarded with the message that everyone else comes first, and it is our job to take care of everyone and everything – perfectly, all the time. However, unless I take care of myself, it is impossible to care for others. If I don’t care for myself, I become tired and worn out. I become resentful. I may even become ill or depressed. I am not my best self if I don’t take care of myself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

It is okay that this week’s blog is a little late and not as lengthy as usual. It is okay that I skip next week’s blog because I will be vacationing with friends. It is okay to allow myself to relax and take break, knowing that I will come back refreshed and renewed, ready to be inspired by God/dess. Today I am breathing deeply and taking care of myself. Won’t you join me.