It’s Me Time

Through the years I’ve learned the importance of self-care.  I’ve learned that it’s ok to work hard, focus on goals, and accomplish tasks, but it’s necessary to take time away from it all to relax and get rejuvenated.  My way of doing that is to travel or just get away, even if it’s in the same city.  There was a time when one of my best friends and I would take yearly vacations together.  We had the best of times.  The first year we went to a beautiful, all-inclusive spa resort in Arizona.  We rescheduled the trip to take place shortly after my mom’s death, after her long battle with Alzheimer’s.  I needed that time away, to destress, and to mourn.  This spa resort was the perfect remedy.  I received daily massages, ate healthy foods, and participated in various classes such as yoga, meditation, and an equine activity that used horses to help individuals become more self-aware.  On that trip, I learned about mindfulness, being in the present, and the importance of taking care of yourself.  That trip refocused my life and taught me to take time for myself.  So my friend and I continued our yearly travels.  Our travels took us to New York, to Vegas, and Nashville.  What fun that was.  

As time went on, our schedules didn’t allow for such traveling together.  I started school, and life just got in the way.  Not wishing to abandon the idea of a getaway, remembering the importance of downtime, I decided to get away from the day-to-day responsibilities of it all.  The decision was to take mini trips, no further than 3 hours away, travel to another part of the city, or I’d stay home and treat the time as a getaway.  The focus was destressing, self-reflection, and walking away from day-to-day responsibilities.  I realized from that trip to Arizona that I owed it to myself, my family, and anyone who came in contact with me to be my best self.  That meant I had to have my time.  Getting a hotel room less than an hour from my house for a two-day relaxation stay was a common practice. There have also been times when I could only afford to take one day off to spend time with myself.  I would purpose not to do any work, not look at any school stuff, just relax.  I’d plan day trips to the farmers market or a shopping excursion to one of the malls and then lunch. All of that worked for me.  It allowed me to step away from the typical day to day life, and step into a time of self-reflection, self-care, focus on just me.  As I’ve gotten older and the girls are gone, I reflect on those times, and I still purpose to have my downtimes, getaways, and times to focus solely on me and my interests.  I hope I established a pattern my girls will follow, to take time for themselves.  

I pray that if you read this post, you will consider taking some Me time, whatever that looks like for you.  Take time to celebrate yourself, to love, and pamper yourself.  Believe that you deserve it!