Busy

Lately I've been under a lot of stress.  I know, everyone is. However, it's even more than usual.  My instinct is to push through, tackle my lists, and be super productive.  BUT, stress is not just mentally demanding, it's physically demanding and I needed to realize that I couldn't just push through.

I started to think about something my yoga teacher says a lot, "Be kind to yourself." and what that means.  Being kind to yourself means not mentally beating yourself up over those little things you don't accomplish.  It means being ok with what you ate today and even taking a nap.

To me, being kind really means I can take a break when I need to.  It means that instead of focusing on how much I can get done, focusing on how well I take care of myself.

I think it goes back to what we value as a society.  We are always talking about how busy we are.  We don't talk about how we pamper ourselves or eat healthy.  We don't discuss things we love to do and how we fit them in.  In fact, if you tell friends or family you read a book or took a bubble bath, they often reply with something like "Must be nice."  Or "I wish I had time for that."  If we really valued healthy and wellness, we'd say, "Good for you!"

So, I'm posting this: Stop the glorification of busy!  Let it be okay to take a break.  Instead of feeling guilty, feel successful.  You've done something no one else knows how to do.  Taking care of yourself in every way possible, makes you a better you and better able to take care of others in your life.  I promise you'll be glad you did.  Be kind :)