I did! And I took it.
How about you? Do you have a break scheduled?
I know “scheduling a break” doesn’t sound very sexy and you may wish that someone would offer to give you a break. But the truth is, if we don’t schedule a break for ourselves, we probably won’t get one.
It’s so easy to get caught in this old people pleasing trap!
Hell, I’m single and self-employed, and I still find myself wishing someone would tell me to take a break.
Because if someone else told me to, then it would be okay.
If my boss (well, in my case that’s me) or my lover (oh! Me again) or my checking account or even a BFF would just say, “hey, Brenda. You look like you could use a break! Take the afternoon. Get a mani/pedi or massage. Read a book. Binge some Netflix if it feels good. Sleep if you want. Whatever feels good. You deserve it!”
Ahhh, how nice it would be to be expressly given permission by someone else.
But wait. Is that really how you want to live? Only taking a break when someone else notices AND tells you to take a break?
I hope the answer is no. You’re a grown-ass human being for goodness sake! You don’t need anyone’s permission to take a break! You take a break because you f’ing need one!
And, that’s where the scheduling comes in. If it’s in your calendar, you’re going to take yourself seriously. Otherwise, as soon as someone else needs you or wants you to do something for them… you’ll ditch your break and go do what they need or want.
It’s time to prioritize yourself. You don’t have to tell anyone you’re taking the afternoon, or day or week off to nap. Just say you’ve already got a commitment and aren’t available. If it’s someone you live with, then sure, tell them you’re taking a self-love day, but no one else needs an explanation. You don’t need to justify taking a break.
I took one this week. In fact, I actually wrote this blog before I left on my break, because I didn’t want any deadlines hanging over me.
I used some birthday money to book two glorious nights in Palm Springs. Two days of laying by the pool, reading, working on my tan, a bottle of my fav champagne… I’ll return feeling like a million bucks. It works every time!
Try it! Start small if you have to. Take a break for an hour. Then work up to half a day. Then an entire day. Then… yes…. Go for it! Take an overnight! All to yourself! It’s the most generous thing to do for the people you work for and the people you love. Why? Because you’ll come back refreshed and renewed.
Which allows us to give from a “full cup.” Which is… the best. 💜
In rest and relaxation,
Brenda