Finding Time for Myself

I took the night off last night. Not from work, that was all caught up. Not from trying to change my life, that is ongoing. No I took the night off from other people. I took some time to be alone with nowhere to go, nothing pressing to get done and just gave myself time to rest. As we move into the holiday season it is easy to get stressed out, to think about all the things we have committed to, the places to go, the presents to buy, the notes to write and so on. We get so caught up in the good times that everyone is trying to have we forget to take care of ourselves.

Taking time for ourselves like this is not selfish though it can feel that way when friends you have not had time to see lately call wanting to visit. If we do not take time for ourselves we become cranky, irritable, and frustrated. The things that should be fun and exciting become commitments, something else to get through before going to the next thing. There is not always time to take a night off but when we feel ourselves getting overwhelmed and pressed in on all sides by the social, occupational and scholastic commitments we have made, we owe it to ourselves and those around us to find the time.