I was on my way to the library to return a book that I had already read in full the other day. I decided on a whim that I was going to get this simple task out of the way, before I seemingly ran out of time again to do so.
So there I am, turning into the parking lot noticing it is quite empty for being only 6:30 pm. I get out, book in hand and proceed to walk up to the front door. I happen upon the hours sign, stuck in the small garden out front; Saturday hours: 9 am – 6 pm.
I pause, because surely it’s Friday. I glance down at my watch to find it is 6:44 pm. I look back up, still wondering why they are closed this early. Upon further inspection, I do see that it is Saturday. I looked back up to the sign, letting this moment sink in.
It was Saturday. And not only was it Saturday, but the day was almost over and I had nothing to show for it.
I mean, I went to work, sure. I always go to work early in the morning. But I honestly thought it was Friday. I’m pretty sure I had to write out some tags for damaged product today and wrote Friday’s date. I glance back down to my phone. I slide the lock screen up to reveal that I was indeed writing the wrong day.
Now, I don’t know if you know what this feels like, but I can tell you that it is a strange one. I mean, obviously I had some recollection that I already lived through Friday and all the events and was onto Saturday. For whatever reason, I rationalized that one thing the entire day.
I thought I had more time.
But as it turns out, I didn’t. There was no if’s and’s or but’s about it. I woke up, knew I had to go to work, and that was that. I just…existed.
I realized that I lost sight of myself in a few short days. I have a lot going on at work and I let that get the better of me.
“I went into a survival mode instead of a living mode.”
When it is all said and done, as a women it is so important to spend time for yourself. We always seem to get lost in the greater scheme of things and forget the little things.
Spending time for yourself is a way to reconnect to ourselves: Finding the balance between the women that everyone has come to expect, versus the woman you actually are is crucial in your quest for self-love. You get a chance to get back to the root of it all, to really gage where you are at mentally.
Spending time for yourself opens the doors to something new: As the leader of your family, or the leader on your own, many responsibilities fall onto our shoulders. We forget what we actually like to do. Giving yourself that time to re-explore painting, or reading a book can open the doors to a whole new world of possibilities for you! Who knows, maybe you will find that you really enjoy reading so much that you want to write your own book!
Spending time for yourself allows your body to reset: Giving yourself a personal day or two allows your body to wind down, relax, and get back to a proper functioning cycle. I have spent a day or two off of from work simply lounging around, reading, and even taking an occasional nap! Resetting your personal clock helps you to be your best for when you get back into the world.
I got out of my car and walked the length of our downtown. I put my phone away and really started looking around me, soaking up the summer breeze. I heard a few people speaking German to one another. I went into the local coffee shop and bought myself a large cappuccino, even trying something new on the barista’s recommendation. I decided I wanted to walk the length of the park across the street. I called one of my best friends I haven’t seen in a couple of weeks to catch up.
I spent some time with myself and not because I needed to, but because I wanted to.
It can be a cold hard truth when you realize that you don’t even know what’s going on in your own world. On the flip side of the coin, it is a rather easy fix. I would recommend being spontaneous. I only had the plan to drop off the library book because I needed to. I wasn’t fully aware that I needed to spend some time with myself and when I did just that, well, everything seemed to fall back into place again.
