Learning to Slow Down

I’d been overextending myself the past month and it caught up with me last week. I was tired- mentally and physically. I could feel it in my bones. You know that feeling?
My husband let me lay on the couch and watch The Hunger Games (one of my favorites) while he occupied the kids. He took over making dinner when I told him I didn’t have the energy and my mind was full. No questions asked. 

We had a slow Thanksgiving weekend with just the four of us. We went to the movies, played outside and played board games. There was lots of downtime and naps. I made a small Thanksgiving dinner. It was exactly what I needed. 

I continued that slow pace into this week. I had a friend over earlier this week with my house looking like this. I didn’t apologize for the mess. Yes, I had time to clean up before my messy house2guest arrived, but I chose to workout because the much needed rest I took this long weekend gave me the energy to care for myself again. 

 Upon her arrival, I jokingly said, “I didn’t clean up for you.” Her immediate reply, “Good. Let’s make a pact to never clean up for each other.” She pushed the blankets off to one side of the couch and sat down. We drank coffee, chatted and forgot about the mess surrounding us. 

I’ve realized that self-care is so important and something I neglect. The house suffered from my rest, but I promise the family benefitted. I’m so busy giving my time and energy to others, which I enjoy, that i forget to take care of myself. 

Life needs to slow down and achieve a kind of balance for me to feel whole and grounded. I’m recognizing it’s okay to say no to activities when I’m tired. It’s okay to let the laundry sit in the dryer for the night when I want to read instead. It’s okay to have friends over and not worry that the house isn’t spotless. It’s okay to just be and you don’t have to apologize for a single bit of it.  

As the holidays approach, I hope you’re finding time for self-care and not over-committing to activities. In case you need to hear it- I give you permission to slow down and say no to activities that don’t bring you joy.