Do you give yourself permission to take a day for you?

If you’re like many people I know, you’re probably thinking yeah right. There’s too much to do. How can I possible take a day for myself? There’s too much to do. I got errands to run, laundry to wash, bills to pay etc.

Maybe the better question to ask is, what will the outcome be if I don’t take time for me? Is it constantly feeling tired, exhausted, stressed out? or will it show up in health or mental health problems or burn out?

You have a choice.

It may require you to say no to someone or not today. Maybe you need to put something off a day. Does it absolutely matter? Is anyone going to bleed or die if it doesn’t get done today?

It’s really important to take time to rest and recharge.

We live in a busy world. Many people have “electronic leashes”. People have a hard time turning them off. FOMO (fear of missing out) is a thing.

I remember when I was a kid Sunday was a day for families. Stores were closed on Sundays. People spent their time at church, or with their families or resting. This isn’t the way anymore. We’re always on in one way or another.

Many kids have full schedules booked with structured activities, school, and sporting events all day every day. There isn’t a lot of “free” or “down” time.

Is Constant Busy the Way?

People think if their kids are constantly busy then they won’t turn to drugs, alcohol or get in trouble. Many believe that all these extracurricular activities are required to get ahead. I ask you to pause and ask what are you teaching your kids? Are you teaching them that not having any down time is the expectation or not allowed? That busy, stressed and constantly on the go is the best way to live. I say enough all ready.

We’ve lost our sense of being able to rest and recharge.

Our mental health is suffering. Employees are facing burnout. Many are depressed and others turn to substances to escape, “chill out” or “numb” the pain. Many kids are being cyber bullied or think what on social media is the way life is. It’s hard to escape.

What are you going to say no to?

We said no to an activity that was taking up every weekend day and 5 days a week.

Who are you going to say Yes to?

We said yes to our family. We make time for our family. We make it a point to have dinner together almost every night. We share our days and spend quality time connecting with each other.

Isn’t this what life is supposed to be about? Spending time with those we love and having connected experiences.

Take the time. You deserve it and you need it for your own well-being.