Don’t Forget About ME!

(sound of the alarm) Sigh! Tired, still...it’s time to get up already? Ah well, let’s get this day started. Brush teeth. Cleanse face. Put contacts in. Shower. Pray. Greet hubby. Get son up. Get dressed. Pack lunch(es). Say exit prayer for the day. If there’s an extra 10-min, stop at Dunkin Donuts. Drop off at school. Arrive to work by 8:15 am or before. Work a full day, most often without a break. Leave work. Pick son up from after care. Go home. Assist with homework. Change clothes. Go teach. Stop at grocery store. Dance rehearsal. Teach dance. Fix dinner. Soak. Read. Date night. Games with son. Conversations with daughter. Go to church. Visit family.

I mean, a daily routine that slightly alters from one day to the next. A routine that keeps life in order and helps me remember what to do next. Nonetheless, lacks balance. What’s missing here? Time for ME. Mental Exhale. A moment to breathe. A moment to be still. A moment to do something unscheduled. A moment to do nothing.

This is the basis of my day-to-day. If you’re anything like me, you operate from a similar schedule if not more extensive...let’s not even talk about having multiple kids, involved with multiple activities or even the childless/unmarried adult working multiple jobs trying to make ends meet. We do what we have to do as responsible adults, parents, spouses but more often than not, neglect ourselves in the process of doing for others and maintaining our own loads. When you generally hear the question, “What about me?”, it’s typically relative to one questioning why others have forgotten them, not even considering how we’ve forgotten ourselves. When is the last time you said no, not this week; or, scheduled an impromptu yet necessary pampering day; sat in the park away from everyone and read your favorite book without interruption? These are just a few examples of limited ways to take a mental exhale. Mandating time for self is essential in maintaining good health and a well balanced mental and emotional state. When you’ve taken care of self, well, you can tend to the matters of life better. When you feel good about self, you feel good in what you do. When you’re in a posture of peace, you command peace in your environment.

Where are you with ME? Take some time this week to consider how you can execute your mental exhale and make a conscience decision to include yourself in all that you do; your energy is much more productive when your battery is full!